Daydreams
by Willow70
Summary: Please read the description at the start of chapter one.
1. White Balloons

**Daydreams**

**The love of a hit man is such a fickle thing. Samantha should know. Or should she? Travel Agent Samantha McCall has been planning trips for everyone and everything except for her own life, until now. When she steals the plans for Jason Morgan's next job as her personal vacation, her one true act of rebellion, she gets so much more than she bargained for. As Jason has to secure other means to secure his contract and to get to the woman he's falling for in time...can they face their fears together? **

**For the purpose of this story, Sam never knew her parents, they died when she was very young and was raised in foster care. She moved to Port Charles about four years ago and befriended Lulu and Maxie as they all shared an apartment trying to make ends meet. Now they are all best friends and Lulu and Maxie work for Crimson while Sam is running her own profitable travel agency catering to most of the Business executives and mob affiliates in Port Charles. **

**White Balloons **

Not again...God. Sam closed her eyes as she steadied herself on the back office wall, kicking the door closed behind her. She panted in breath after breath, stilling herself as much as possible as she prayed that it passed. It had to pass. It would pass. She swallowed bile against each labored breath and finally felt strength returning to her limbs as the nausea died down to something manageable.

Sam made it to the bathroom and flipped the lone overhead on her pale face assaulting her sight from the mirror. She looked away as she pulled her backpack from her shoulder, letting it slip from her side into the floor as she quickly turned the water on, splashing a handful of cold against her face. She'd thought that the symptoms from her chemo had died down enough to come into work. She couldn't just let the business flop.

She liked to believe that Jenny was right and she was going to live a long and fruitful life. It was the reason that her hospital mate had left her the place. Jenny Donally had a successful travel agency with an established client base. That is until she ended up with a rare form of aggressive Leukemia. Jenny and Sam had been room mates at General Hospital, both requesting no visitors as they didn't want to worry any of their friends and neither of them had any family.

They'd hit it off trading stories of what they'd told their friends about where they'd been during the last two months of therapy...

"_The Bahamas with an old boyfriend." Sam lay on her right side facing Jenny as Jenny lay on her left facing her. "We're staying in the Sapphire suite of The Cove Atlantis." _

"_No way." Jenny had smiled brighter than any other time Sam had seen her. "You already told them?" She asked in awe so absolutely elated. _

"_I did. I called yesterday." Sam smirked, now really curious as to what Jenny had told her friends. __"Why where did you say you were?" _

"_You will not believe this but I told Carly that I got a great deal on a trip to the Bahamas. She thinks me and my old college roommate are in the penthouse at the Reef in Atlantis." _

_A fit of laughter filled the room until they were both too winded to laugh anymore and even then they spoke through stifled bouts. "So does that mean we're not lying if we say we met on vacation?" Sam asked and they both had to fight another round of laughter. _

Sam came away from the memory of their meeting and fast friendship as they weathered one hell of an ordeal together. Sam looked into the mirror and swallowed tightly, frowning. The difference was Sam made it out alive and Jenny didn't.

Sam couldn't move a moment as she looked back at herself trying to remind herself that it was alright to feel this angry at the very idea. She'd been through the counseling in her early years. She knew what survivors guilt was. Two months of leaning on each other and Sam was still shocked to find that Jenny had left her the travel agency that they had talked so much about. Four months later and an exam that had her licensed and here Sam was, ready to reopen the place.

"_I'm supposed to be coming home from Atlantis in a few days and I have to find away to explain my absence." Sam sighed as she flipped through one of Jenny's travel magazines, both of them going through extremes of wrapping themselves up like Eskimos and shedding the blankets in a clammy sweat. Sam was in an unwrapped state. _

"_I was thinking that you and me teamed up with a travel writer who wanted to take us to Machu Picchu. He has an expense account and can afford it. It's the chance of a life time. We just couldn't pass it up, plus it gives us a chance to explain how we know each so well when we get back," Jenny was in the wrapped stage as she peered out from the hood of her blanket to Sam._

"_Where is that?" Sam had read a lot about travel when she was growing up, wishing she was so many places but where she was but she had never heard of Machu Picchu, at least not that she could remember at length. It sounded like some ruins, but she couldn't remember which ones. _

"_It's in Peru. You hike in from Cuzco." Jenny explained excitedly as they shifted, Jenny coming unwrapped as Sam caught a chill and quickly began to wrap herself up. "It's high in the Andes, the lost city of the Inca. I always said I would go one day." She smiled sadly. _

"_Sounds perfect." Sam shivered out as she realized the dream Jenny felt was slipping through her grasp. "And you'll go. Don't give up on that. We're going to get out of here and get stronger and you'll go." _

"_I wish I had your faith." Jenny chuckled. _

Sam wiped at a stray tear, shaking herself when she heard the bell on the front door jingle. God. She needed to get a grip. She wasn't helping herself or Jenny's memory by wallowing in their past. Still how could she help but not, this was her first day taking over the office. Sam should have realized all those months ago that Jenny was practically grooming her to run the place.

Sam gave herself a glance over with a heavy sigh and finally pushed herself to head out into the reception area. "Sorry I'm still getting used to the place." She said her eyes on her feet as she skirted the desk and chairs finally looking up a few feet away from her newest client. Sam froze, eyes widening like a deer caught in the beam of high powered head lights as her gaze fell on the stunningly handsome man that graced her reception area.

Mahogony met blue skies and she was lost in his eyes in a heart beat. It seemed they were both lost for words for the longest moment until he shook it off first, with a cough and a break in eye contact that had Sam regaining her composure. "Sorry, like I said...new...I'm Sam, Sam McCall. You must be my 9 o'clock, Mr. Morgan?" She asked as she offered her hand.

"Nice to meet you. I am." He nodded with a brief shake of hands. "I have to say I was a little reluctant to come after..." He looked away uncomfortably. "Jenny's passing. I trusted her."

Sam acknowledged his slim show of emotion with the compassion that was already welling up inside her. He cared about Jenny and while he was trying to remain professional about it, it was easy for Sam to see. "Jenny had a way of helping put anyone at ease." Sam said softly, catching a hint of surprise in his eyes when he looked back.

"You were the one that was in Peru with her?" Jason shifted awkwardly.

"I was. We left the Bahamas together with a travel writer's entourage." She knew the story by heart. It had given them peace when it seemed there could be none, escaping to the exotic locales while they suffered their treatments.

"She was a very kind soul. I hope you do her justice taking over the business." Jason motioned them to sit at the nearby desk and Sam thankfully sank in her seat, needing the support. "I have to say everyone was surprised that she left it to you."

"I know it has to be a shock." Sam nodded. "We became very close over the two months we spent together." Sam assured him. "I was shocked to find out that she left me the place, myself. I promise you I plan to do everything that I can to honor her memory while running this business that I know meant so much to her."

That seemed to put him at ease and so he got down to business. It seemed a welcome relief to both of them. "I need a one way ticket to Paris with the return from Cape Town five days later. I'll need bookings for hotels on the following nights in the following cities and the stipulation for selection are as follows..."

And oh what a detailed list he had. Nothing to flashy. Has to be on a main street. Located in Downtown. The list went on and on and the cars, he needed something economical in Paris and something sporty in Cairo. Oh it was interesting and by the time he was finished Sam was in awe of the level of detail that he needed and the lack of information as to why he needed it.

The way Jenny talked, people loved to talk about their plans, at least most people. Not Mr. Morgan. He seemed more interested with whether she could make it happen and then coordinate with his assistant, Damien Spinelli to make sure that his trip went off without a single hitch...

All and all Sam's first case was a doozy, but well worth it. Jason, as she came to know him, helped reestablish her as the go to girl for travel in Port Charles and thus began a beautiful friendship.

It wasn't all roses though.

Lying to Maxie and Lulu was getting harder face to face. They wanted to hear so much more about the trips. Sam had the details. She had every little one, but with each one came a memory of suffering and heartache as she and Jenny struggled through their hardships together. And then there was Carly. Carly Corinthos was Jenny's best friend and she was the only one that knew Sam's secret.

Apparently, Jenny was worried about Carly trying to snoop into the story, so she sat down and wrote her a letter, explaining what really happened and who Sam was, where she was and what she had done for her. Sam felt she was given too much credit, but Carly didn't. So she gained a new friend, one that was a little over the top at first, but fiercely protective as though Sam was her surrogate friend, her last connection to Jenny.

It took three long years for the business to finally feel as if it was her own...three years of treatment and blossoming friendships. Three years of solidifying her life in Port Charles. And finally three years of remission from her illness...

**Three years later...**

"Book him on the next flight out of Austin, Tx." Sam called to her new assistant, Kristina Davis who was trying to move out on her own and thus begged for the job. Sam couldn't turn her away, not really. Carly had asked her to hire her as personal favor and Sam didn't ask why. Carly owed her. Sam turned back to her phone call as she got a nod from Kristina who set to work on the computer to make it happen. "You'll be home in time for your son's recital, Mr. Hart, not a worry in sight." She promised him as she looked to Kristina waiting for a thumbs up to signify that she wasn't lying.

She smiled brightly when she finally got it and gave a reciprocal thumbs up in immediate praise as well as a mouthed 'Thank you.' "It's all set up you're flight leaves in..." Sam widened her eyes expectantly as Kristina, glad that the girl was a quick study. Kristina held up two fingers. "Two hours." Sam finished. "It's no problem, Sir. Have a wonderful flight home." Sam hung up and whirled with praise on her lips, that never quite made it to Kristina's ears as the door flew open, bell heralding a frantic customer.

Sam whirled back around in time to see Spinelli looking ready to come unglued. "What's wrong?" Sam asked in an instant.

"I've got a last minute trip to coordinate and I have so many other things to get done, I can't possibly work on it. Do you think you can do it?"

"Sure. Is it for Jason?" Sam asked as she reached for the folder that Spinelli had in his hand.

"It is. And I need it done, yesterday." Spinelli looked so relieved that Sam couldn't help but smile as she returned the hug that he gave her in appreciation. "He leaves in two days and I need everything perfect. I don't know anyone who does perfect quite like you." Spinelli kissed her cheek and pulled back.

Sam's smile grew. To say that she knew what Jason did would be a lie, but she had an idea. A person didn't book trips for someone over three years and not catch on. At least not if they were clever. Sam still didn't judge – She knew Jason personally and he wasn't a bad man, so whatever his profession was, whatever it was that he did. He was still the good guy.

"I've got it covered, Spinelli. Go get what else you have to done." Sam soothed him. "Call me in the morning for the details and we'll work everything out." She promised him.

"Thank you, you're a goddess." Spinelli professed before he bolted from the office to head next door, where he and Jason had relocated their offices.

"Wow." Kristina said over a barrage of typing after Spinelli hurried out the door. "He's a little high strung. I mean I'd heard that, but...wow."

"Oh yeah." Sam nodded as she headed back to her office to take care of Jason's itinerary personally. "Let me know when you have Mr. Hart's confirmation package done and I need you to see about getting Mr. Zacchara on a plane to Cuzco day after tomorrow."

Sam paused in the hallway just before her office as she heard a stifled squeal.

"Johnny's surprising Lulu in Cuzco isn't he?" Kristine stuck her head around the corner looking hopeful for the scoop.

"He is." Sam couldn't disappoint her. "So..."

"Mum's the word." Kristina replied as she hurried to make it happen.

Sam sank into her seat with a tired sigh, opening the folder that she'd received from Spinelli. She knew that Jason split the travel arranging between her and Spinelli, more so recently. It was his way of avoiding her. And she couldn't blame him. They had been courting more than a friendship for months and it finally led to a night of blind passion.

The next day Sam was lambasted with guilt, worried because she had an upcoming appointment and she was terrified that her remission status would change. She didn't want to put anyone through watching her suffer. Luckily she wasn't the only one that pulled away. It made her feel less guilty. She didn't have to let him down, because he did it to her first.

He had a simple explanation, one that didn't warrant much detail and she didn't press. He said that his job wasn't conducive for relationships. And, well, it seemed that her life wasn't. So it worked out perfectly.

So why was there an ache in her chest?

Sam hadn't been denying her feelings so much as she had been remiss to allow herself to have them. She knew she cared about him and if she thought about it or let herself indulge much more she could say that it was more than care, but then she really couldn't...How could she possibly justify leading him on when she could be sick again any time.

She didn't want to hurt him.

And obviously he didn't want to hurt her so the feeling was mutual. They were just not compatible.

"How did it go?" Sam looked up completely at a loss that she hadn't heard the bell or noticed that Carly was now easing herself into the seat across from her desk.

"Fine as far as I can tell." Sam knew she was asking about her check up. The one that she'd had last week, the one that made her doubt any chance at a relationship with Jason. "I'm still waiting on test results."

"When do you get them?" Carly asked, truly concerned.

"Tomorrow at the soonest." Sam tried to feign stoicism as she flipped through the file as though she as too busy to have this conversation with Carly, but Carly saw right past it and called her on it.

"No you don't." Carly spoke up worriedly. "Sam, I know you're scared that the remission isn't going to last and piling yourself high with work isn't going to make that fear go away. You haven't said the first thing about it and it's time to talk."

"Carly." Sam protested.

"Don't...you need a night out, you need to talk, you need to let the work go for a moment." Carly cautioned her.

Sam stilled silently, taking a breath in the moment before she looked back to her friend. "You're right and I promise that tomorrow night we can go out and take that moment, and I'll talk, but I want to finish these last minute plans for now."

"Alright, but when I get my baby sitters all straightened out and I come to collect you tomorrow, I better not hear a word in protest." Carly warned her.

"You have my word, I'll be here and ready to go." She promised her.

"Good. We'll make it a girls night." Carly finally looked happy and Sam couldn't help but smile as Carly slid her hand across the table and grasped her own in hers. "Everything is going to work out, Sam."

Sam squeezed Carly's hand, secretly glad that her secret was shared by at least one person. "I know." She gave her a watery smile though, betraying her doubt.

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

" **I'm holding on to white balloons up against a sky of doom, tell me you see them...cause what's inside of me is invisible to most, even in clear view...I'm sending out a signal to the possibility of you, cause right at this moment...I know you're connected to a part of me that I don't even know myself...the changes in me are likely to be like the weather...stormy and clear, strength into fear bound together..." **

Sam came into the office with the express idea of doing exactly what she promised Carly. She'd secured Jason's week long trip to South America, a tour of Peru – it seemed. And she had everything else all ready for her to go out that night, to talk about her worries and why she was so scared to open up to those around her.

She didn't mean to let her down. But something happened when she got the call from the hospital. As if her instincts had known before she did, she found out that she was no longer in remission.

They wanted her in the next week to work on a treatment plan.

"**And I'll break my silence if I believe that you and me can ever be more than what's been behind us...I tried to laugh, that came and went... I got rejected out again...but no one believes me...I've worn a hundred faces of the character replacements and now...nobody sees me..." **

Something broke inside of Sam. She looked to the airline tickets on her desk that she was supposed to give to Spinelli that morning and for the life of her...all she could think of was how Jenny wanted to see Machu Picchu before she died.

Sam's own mortality was weighing so heavily and she just, she just wanted something...anything...Maybe living out someone else's dream before her possible demise over a routine bout of harsh treatment could help preserve her, because she didn't know how to do another go at this without Jenny there to help her daydream her way through it...

"**The changes in me are likely to be like the weather...cloudy at best...Angels, lift me...are you with me...I'm holding onto you like I'm holding onto white balloons...carry me away...I hope that you don't break..."**

Sam had gotten her passport as soon as she wasn't ashamed of her reflection upon remission and now she held the little folded blue pass in her hands, tickets in the other, only a carry on and what little savings she'd managed to save from the successful business that She inherited.

Whatever Jason had to do in Peru could be resolved with someone booking him another flight and hotels. She might not have the time though. Sam could justify it that way. At least she thought so...maybe she wasn't in her right mind, but she had to do this. She had to do it now.

She couldn't put it off another day...

"**Angels, lift me...are you with me...I'm holding onto you like I'm holding onto white balloons...carry me away...I hope that you don't break...I hope that you don't break..."**

Sam stared out the window of the plane, watching the clouds as they passed through them, her mind still in shock from the news...her mind flashing back to her time with Jenny. It was time that she did this. Before she didn't have any time left. She owed her friend that much. She had promised herself that she would take this trip because Jenny couldn't and she wasn't going to let her illness stop that...

"**Don't break..." **

**Last song " White balloons." by Sick Puppies**


	2. Innocent

**Daydreams**

**I did start this with the intention of making this kinda funny but my muse had other ideas, I am trying to add humor though :P I hope this chapter answers some of the questions so far...Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope everyone enjoys this update :)**

**Innocent**

_A resounding crash accompanied the flying files as they were scattered from the desktop and toppled the small wastebasket aside the desk as a backward kick sent the office chair careening into the back wall. A pant and a moan barely registered over the ruckus as Jason hit the wall beside the chair, barebacked, only a half a moment to divine her intentions. He caught her as she lunged into him, body pressed so tight and their lips crashed again, passions riding high on a wave of lust and pent up frustration. _

_He cupped her panty clad bottom pulling her up so that she hugged his waist low with her thighs and he turned the both of them until she was caught between him in the wall, her moan of delight against their dueling tongues only in-sighting his hands to roaming her near naked form with more fervor. "Sam," Jason nipped at her ear as her fingers danced over the button of his jeans, working them open. "I've wanted you for so long..." _

"_Have you?" Jason pulled back, eyes narrowing as her voice didn't sound quite right, breaking him away from the moment as he suddenly was starring down the barrel of a gun, Sam now replaced with his last kill's form. _

Jason bolted out of the bed, coming awake in a panic as he fought the tangle of blankets that he'd wrapped around himself in his sleep. He got to his feet with a string of curses on his breath as he threw the blanket at the bed in a mingle of sexual frustration and terror, anger winning out. Goddammit. He fought to catch his breath, tugging on the hem of his boxers on his way to the bathroom.

"This is just what I need today." Jason complained to his reflection, splashing a handful of cold water down his face as he met his own eyes.

Sam was a reoccurring theme in his dreams. She had been for the better part of a year and it only got worse after they gave into their lust post travel arranging in the office after locking up for the night. He'd pushed her away afterward and swore that it was for the best, that she would be safer that way. She wouldn't have to live with the all the lies and lack of information he could give her. She wouldn't be a target for some asshole coming after him. It was supposed to be better this way.

But it wasn't. What he traded for her safety and well being was his own peace and a heartache that was threatening to consume him. He'd always prided himself on being able to distance himself from his emotions, it was sort of a requirement in his line of work, but now, now he couldn't seem to shut this off, to get her out of his mind, his heart. Jason cursed again, slamming his hand into the sink in desperation.

It was the phone that kept him from damaging his hand or the sink further and Jason pulled himself away to pick up, seeing that he was already running late as he caught sight of the clock on his way to answer. It was nearly time for him to run by the office and pick up the tickets before heading out. Jason grabbed the phone and headed to his closet quickly pulling it open to find his travel clothes. "Speak to me," He answered.

"I've got the armor piercing rounds and the extra magazines along with the flares and the C-4. We're still waiting on the detcord and I think there is a problem with the travel arrangements." Spinelli rushed out all at once, providing the inventory first as though it might soften the blow of the latter utterance.

"You think? Spinelli you were handling them, what do you mean you think?" Jason asked as he yanked a white under shirt over his head and pulled it into place, adjusting the phone as needed.

"I passed them off to the fair Samantha because of the costly time it was taking for me to arrange the required items that you requested." Spinelli explained as a fast prattle. "I just called the agency only to find that the goddess in training is beside herself in worry because the Fair One hasn't made it into work and she doesn't know what to do."

"I'll swing by there on my way to the airport, I'm sure it's something benign." Jason knew that Spinelli overreacted but the very idea that something could be wrong with Sam was already worrying him. "Just make sure that I have what I need when I get to Lima, Spinelli." Jason quickly got off the phone and finished getting ready before he headed out the door, grabbing his suitcase on the way out the door.

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

Jason pushed open the door to Daydreams Travel Agency and stopped seeing Carly look up from where she stood to Kristina's side phone pulled to her ear. "I don't care if you have to sneak into her office and pull the file yourself, Dennis. You owe me and I'm collecting." She demanded without a seconds hesitation.

Jason motioned for Kristina to come on over, not sure what Carly was up to and not sure he wanted to know as it seemed that it was definitely no good and he had a plane to catch. He just wanted to make sure that Sam was alright. "Did Sam come in?" Jason asked her softly so as not to disturb Carly in whatever witch hunt she was on.

"No. She still hasn't. Carly's already been by her apartment and it looked like she packed in a hurry. She's trying to find out what happened." Kristina explained in a whisper. "I noticed the safe was open in the back and then your files were open, tickets booked, the screen was still up on the computer but there aren't any in the office."

Jason was getting a sinking feeling, a gnawing that something was terribly wrong. "Did you talk to Maxie or Lulu?" Jason knew that her other best friends kept up to date with everything on Sam. Maybe she had an emergency and she told one of them.

"I had trouble getting through to he photo shoot but Lulu said that she hasn't heard from her. She said she would talk to Maxie and let me know though." Kristina suddenly jumped when Carly raised her voice once more.

"You sniveling coward. Do you need me to do everything? Tell her that she had a patient asking for her in the lobby and then get your ass in her office." Carly snarled out.

Jason arched an eyebrow at that. "What is Carly up to?" He wondered if Kristina even knew.

"She said that Sam might have gotten some bad news. She's trying to find out, now."

Jason didn't like the sound of that at all. What sort of bad news? What did Carly know about it? Jason and Carly had been friends for years, close. It happened when Jason was still with Sonny, before Sonny went legit and started his security firm. Jason had tried his hand at it but there was too much red tape trying to play everything straight. He'd finally gotten tired of it and gone freelance.

Freelance meant that he could pick his targets and only focus on the really whacked out characters out there. And to top it all off he got paid for it. So Carly and Jason's friendship transcended the adjustment to the legal life. He knew that she had become good friends with Sam as well, but he never pressed her for information about her.

"Dennis, if I have to come there, you will regret it for the rest of your natural life." Carly promised the other person on the phone and Jason's sinking feeling took a plunge. Carly was playing awfully hard for simple bad news. He wasn't sure what sort of bad news it might be, but he was getting more and more worried.

"Kristina, why don't you go grab some coffee and I'll stay here with Carly. I'll have Spinelli call you when Sam gets back to the office." Jason finally decided that when Carly got whatever it was that she was looking for he was calling in a favor of his own and finding out what it was that she knew. He didn't want Kristina caught in the middle of it.

Ten minutes later, Kristina long gone, Carly hung up the phone looking a shade paler than she had before and Jason pushed himself off the wall he was lounging against. "Carly, what's going on?" Jason asked instantly. "What's going on with Sam?" He clarified in case she decided to get smart with him.

Carly didn't answer immediately. She seemed to be weighing what to say. "Sam's just got some bad news." She started but Jason wasn't going to have it.

"Yeah I got that from Kristina or at least the possibility for it, how about a little more to go on." Jason couldn't hide the disdain in his voice.

"Jason, if she wanted you to know she would have told you." Carly replied with a tight swallow.

"Carly you just did something that was probably very illegal to find out what's up and you're lecturing me on the ethics of friendship? What happened?" Jason retorted with a huff.

Carly shifted nervously from one foot to another still weighing whether to tell him. "She's not in remission any more. Jason, Sam didn't meet Jenny in the Bahamas. She met her in the hospital. They were undergoing treatment for Leukemia together. Jenny didn't die in a Peru, she died right here in Port Charles and Sam was the only one she wanted at her side." Carly looked like a weight had been lifted the more she got out, but Jason felt like his whole world was being shifted upside down.

"Why didn't..." Jason wasn't sure what he was even asking, his mind completely blown as he was trying to come to terms with the insanity that Carly was explaining to him.

"They didn't want anyone to worry about them. Sam's been carrying this stoicism thing to the limit and I think it finally hit home. She just found out that she needs to be in treatment again and I think she bolted. I don't know where. But I think that she thought she needed the time. They want her in next week for treatment, Jase." Carly licked at her lips, blinking back tears.

To say that Jason was reeling would be the understatement of the century. He was far more than reeling. He was trying to make thoughts make sense again. Sam had cancer. She'd had it for years and he hadn't had a clue. She'd known Jenny been with her til the end and they both shared this secret that only Carly knew and now...now...

She was gone and that ache in his heart was trying to rip the damn organ from his chest. A long moment of silence passed before either one of them could speak again. "Kristina said that the tickets for my trip to Peru were missing." He finally got out. "Maybe Sam took them. Jenny loved Peru and they made up the story that they were there years ago, she had the tickets right in front of her. Maybe she decided to go." Jason tried to make sense of it, but he wasn't sure he was on the right track at all.

"You think she flew to Peru?" Carly asked in disbelief and then her eyes widened. "Maxie and Lulu are already down there. Maybe she went to see them?"

"I think she went to go to Machu Picchu, Carly. Come on how many times did you hear Jenny talk about it or Sam after Jenny was gone." Jason pointed out, getting more and more nervous and scared. He hadn't even processed what this meant for Sam and here he was just trying to put pieces together.

"She got the call and the tickets for Peru were right in front of her, Christ." Carly swore as she looked away in horror. "Jase, she's sick she shouldn't be out there alone."

"She won't be for long." Jason replied evenly, trying to adjust to this bomb shell as he quickly started working out a new plan of action. "Does Sonny still keep the jet fueled for the weekends?" Jason asked quickly. He didn't make it a habit of pulling Sonny into his line of work seeing as Sonny was trying to stay off the laws radar now, but this was a favor that could be collected on and it sure beat trying to get more tickets.

"He does." Carly nodded, eyes widening as she realized his plan. "Jason, call me as soon as you find her."

"I will." Jason promised as Carly jumped back on the phone to make sure the arrangements were made for Jason with Sonny's jet.

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Everything is in perfect order." Spinelli answered the phone when Jason called him on the way to hope the jet.

"Not really. You remember when Stansfield was in town and me and Sam were having lunch at Kelly's?" Jason asked as he took the plane steps two at a time.

"Yeah."

"He knows what Sam looks like and that she's an associate of mine. She's taken my ticket and he's expecting me in Lima when she lands. He's going to assume that she's there for the job or to inform him on something about me." Jason explained as quickly as he could.

"B...b...but...why.." Spinelli started trying to get out, but Jason interrupted him.

"Listen to me. I want to you get yourself a ticket to Lima as soon as possible. Sam's gotten herself into one hell of a jam and it's going to take both of us to get her out of it." Jason couldn't even factor in her illness yet. He was trying too hard to think straight long enough to plan now that she'd managed to turn his entire world upside down...

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

"**Oh, Johnny wishes he was famous...spends his time alone in the basement...with Lennon and Cobain and a guitar and a stereo...well he wished he could escape this but it all seems so contagious...not to be yourself and faceless, in a song that has no soul..." **

Johnny Zacchara tugged his sunglasses in to place as he stepped off the plane in Cuzco, carry on in hand as the sun beat down, a smile playing on his lips. This was the perfect trip, personal and business wrapped all in one. He had his morning meeting with a client and then it was off to see Lulu at the shoot after party. If he was lucky he would even have time to change clothes between the kill and his date.

"**I, remember feeling low. I, remember losing hope...and I, remember all the feelings and the day they stopped...We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are. We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are..." **

Carly sank onto her couch starring at a blank TV, the babysitter worrying over the kids as she sat wondering what in the hell was going on. She never should have just sent Jason off after Sam. Hell she shouldn't' have kept her secret so long, but what else could she have done? Jason was crazy about Sam and Sam was crazy about Jason and while Carly wanted to interfere and make sure that they ended up together she hadn't quite talked herself into doing it until now. When they got home...things were going to change...

"**Oh, Tina's losing faith in what she knows...hate her music, hates all of her clothes...thinks of surgery and a new nose...every calorie is a war...while she wishes she was a dancer and that she never heard of cancer, she wishes God would give her some answers, and make her feel beautiful..." **

Sam stepped off the plane in Lima, Peru and claimed her baggage, heading to catch a cab to her hotel. She wasn't two feet out into the main lobby of the airport though when she saw a sign labeled 'Morgan' and while she felt the guilt welling up and tried to skirt the man wielding it she realized as he made a beeline in her direction that she remembered him from a lunch date she and Jason had shared about a month back.

"What a pleasant surprise." Stansfield smiled brightly as he met up with her.

"**I, remember feeling low. I, remember losing hope...and I, remember all the feelings and the day they stopped...We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are... We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are..." **

Lulu peered out the window of her hotel room wishing she knew how to tell Johnny that she was pregnant. She'd been on birth control and still...She didn't know how it could have happened. Maxie was on the phone behind her and for the life of her she couldn't make out a single word that she was saying as she peered out into the skyline, lost in her own turmoil.

There was another nagging, worry over Sam. Questions with no clear reason. She knew that something was wrong and Lulu was fighting her own personal dilemma as she tried to reason out what might be up with Sam and why Kristina was calling about her.

"**One day...you'll have to let it go, you'll have to let it go...one day, you'll stand up on your own, you'll stand up on your own...remember losing hope, remember feeling low, remember all the feelings and the day they stopped..." **

Spinelli walked nervously into the airport his legs literally shaking at the idea of boarding a plane. God. Did Jason realize what he was asking of him when he asked him to head out to Peru? Spinelli was fighting nausea, trying to convince himself that he could do this. He could. He could get on a plane. He could fly. He could make it there. He could do it all without...

"Oh God..."

Spinelli turned trying to keep from spewing on the woman behind the ticket counter and managed to coat the man behind him in puke from chest to navel.

"**We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are. We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are...We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are. We are, we are all innocent, we are all innocent, we are, we are..."**

Jason watched out the window as he was inwardly beating himself up. Though he was still in shock he was trying to understand what had happened and what still was. Trying to sort through his feelings and fears. Sam being sick was like a knife to his heart and the very idea that she had suffered so much alone already was eating him alive.

That he had pushed her away because of his job as though it was some way to keep her safe and she was now anything but safe was still hitting hard. He closed his eyes breathing in deeply. God. He had to find her. He had to find her before anyone else did.

"**We are, we are all innocent..." **

**Last Song "Innocent" by Our Lady Peace. **


	3. I'm Not Over

**Daydreams**

**So I had an update almost finished for Heir but my daughter ran off with the laptop it was on and hasn't e-mailed it to me, soooo I thought I would write a short update for Daydreams. **

**I'm Not Over**

"I have to say. I never thought..." Stansfield started once more as he towered over her, a manilla file tucked inside a newspaper in his hand. He offered it without any overt movements, a natural sort of hand off and Sam took it with ease, wishing that whatever this was, was over quickly.

She was tired and cranky and ready to sack out for the night before she worked on the rest of her rehashing of travel arrangements to see about getting to Cuzco faster. "Oh I know. It's always a shock." Sam smiled politely and folded the paper under her arm.

Espionage, Hit man, CIA, although Sam doubted the latter...whatever it was Jason did, she had a feeling she as about to find out all about it. She just didn't want anyone else to know that she didn't know unless she felt she could trust them and well that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"You're just so..." He was absolutely marveling, drinking her in and all Sam wanted was for him to stop and go away. Here they were, cab ride over, waiting in the lobby of the Hotel Melia Lima and she just wanted to check in and go to the luxury suite she'd booked for Jason. Luckily she had the credit card that Jason had permanently intrusted her with to book his trips with. It was one of those untraceable things that was prepaid, but Jason always kept the things well endowed.

"I know. I just blow your mind, and I'd love to do so much more, but I have to get settled in." Sam had learned to run cons in foster care. If she wasn't conning the child service agents so that she could stay somewhere she liked, then she was conning the foster parents into thinking she was perfect or well, just less horrible than the kid they had before. Suffice it to say she was picking up on which way to go here. Stansfield obviously didn't really know what was in the file and was simply staying around to see if he could get into her pants. "Maybe we can work on that later though." She arched an eyebrow suggestively giving him the hope he needed to go ahead and say goodbye.

"Ah, yes. I would love to. I believe you know how to get in touch with me." Stansfield took the bait and Sam couldn't have been happier. After battling throwing a punch when he grabbed her ass she forced her smile to last until she watched him walk himself out of the lobby and then lost her smile and gladly headed to her room to get some rest.

At least that's what she thought she was going to do.

Sam pushed the door open, expecting to be in a state of shock over the absolute splendor of the room, and while she had a half a second to reel in that awe, she was more taken by the matching luggage set that didn't belong to her that was situated at the foot of the King bed. Sam didn't ask – she didn't think it wise. So she tipped the bellman and closed the door behind her.

God she was exhausted, but curiosity was taking hold. She wanted to know what was in the suitcases. She actually wanted a lot of things. She wanted to eat and take the ever lasting bubble bath and then sleep until the growing fatigue left her for but a little while. She wanted to forget that she was sick. She wanted to know what Jason was doing down here. She wanted to drink in life and let it sustain her.

Sam blinked back tears, unwilling to let her mind settled on her illness as trembling fingers danced over the zipper to the largest suitcase. Surely Spinelli didn't just ship Jason's clothes down ahead of him. She'd known there was something hinky up with Jason too long to even consider that.

Sam picked the case up and leveled it on the foot of the bed, quickly opening it to reveal...

Sam angled her head in confusion as she found a layer of polyester and various other material uniforms and dress shirts to match, a host of...costumes, for lack of a better word. And none of them for a petite brunette of her stature. No these were for Jason. There were socks and shoes and wigs and makeup. Sam frowned with a tight swallow.

The problem was that this hadn't narrowed down his career. Sam always thought she had a handle on Jason, that he was a good guy, but now...she was a little weirded out to have her stranger theories looking more and more realistic as far as he was concerned. She went through the other cases and found weapons and other files. She supposed that none of these cleared normal channels. Okay so Hit man was looking more and more applicable but she had to admit...

After eating the complimentary fruit in the basket...

Taking the whirl pool bubble bath recommended in heaven...

and settling on the king sized bed in her complimentary plush robe...

That the assholes, plural for there were multiple files...but they were evil. Pure and simple. Their files read like some psychopaths resume from a horror story. Sam knew he was a good man. He was just doing what had to be done. What others couldn't.

Sam frowned when she saw a drop of blood hit the current file of one, Juan Proto that she'd been reading, the most heinous out of the entire group of files. Sam sat up on the bed, fingers rushing to her nose as she felt the warm trickle in horror. She closed the file and set it aside, leaning her head back as she grabbed for some tissue on the night stand.

Jason's life was a good excuse to lose herself, deny for a moment why she was here. When the flow didn't seem to stem quite like she wanted, blood escaping to spatter her and there against the carpet and bed spread, Sam got to her feet and headed to the bathroom, cursing under her breath.

It finally calmed, but she had a mess that wasn't easily cleaned and she was too tired to deal with it...According to her schedule delivered and worked out by her for Jason, He was due to take the first mark out the next evening. She needed to get some sleep and she wasn't exactly sure where to go from here yet. So she had til then to make up her mind, before someone realized that something wasn't right here, unless Jason found her first.

Sam doubted it. The flights were already booked up and the hotels hard pressed with several events ranging from sports events to music festivals and Crimson's own shoot bogging down booking. Jason wouldn't be able to book another flight til tomorrow night.

She was safe.

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Proto and Sanchez were tipped off." Jason stepped out the plane, watching carefully for prying eyes and ears. "I got the call in route. Stansfield has to be the leak and he knows where I'm supposed to be staying." Jason explained to Spinelli who was waiting on another plane in Houston. "I want you to get on the phone with Barton and Elliot and get them to meet me in Peru. I don't care where, give them the itinerary when you're sure no one is listening." Jason shouldered his bag as he headed down the stairs, pacing himself down the private runway to the waiting...limo?

He hadn't been graced with Limo's at the airport since his run with Sonny. Carly or Sonny was trying to help him out. He was sure of it as he saw Max step out of the drivers side and give him a wave. He didn't know Max was in Peru. Sonny must have some clients down here in need of protection.

Jason returned the wave with a smile, feeling a little nostalgia mingling with his fear for Sam's safety. "I'll make it happen." Spinelli promised him before Jason hung up the phone and quickly climbed into the back of the Limo.

"Where we headed?" Max Giambetti asked him with a glance in the rear view.

"Hotel Melia Lima." Jason called through the divide. "Good to see you Max."

"You too, Jason."

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

Sam wasn't sure what it was that woke her.

Maybe it was the night sweats, or the over all ache that was nagging her joints.

No. She didn't think so. Sam sat up quietly in the bed, the dark mitigating what she could see, but her hearing was still crystal clear and she could have sworn that she heard a footfall. Paranoia, never even entertained her thoughts as an options, though ridiculing her to let it go. Something was wrong.

And that something because perfectly clear when a hard body suddenly landed on her, pinning her to the bed, hands encircling her throat and choking off the scream that was trying to force it's way out...

"**What a waste of time, the thought crossed my mind...but I never missed a beat...Can't explain the who or what I was trying to believe...What would you do...what would you do...Do you know?"**

Jason got an extra room key with an ID and a copy of the credit card that Sam had used to get herself checked in. Max had agreed to accompany him and the two made haste to the elevator, Jason pressing the button for their floor a few times before he settled back and looked at his friend of old, watching him curiously.

"Care to tell me what's going on?" Max asked him worriedly.

"I hope nothing." Was Jason's reply as they both looked to the numbers counting their way up...

"**I once had a grip on everything, it feels better to let go...I'm not over...I'm not over you just yet...Cannot hide it...you're not that easy to forget...I'm not over..."**

Sam wedged her right knee between her and her attacker and shoved as hard as she could in the groin area, recognizing the grip as that of a man's hand and praying that she could sever his death grip on her with one fell kick. She landed precisely where she needed to and heard the asshole gasp in a grunt as his grip loosened on her throat, allowing her a breath.

And one breath was all it took. Sam got her other knee under he and she kicked the bastard off the bed, his hand leaving her throat as she scrambled off the bed on the left side and got to her feet to see if she could find a suitable weapon and her attacker...

"**Never took the chance...could've jumped the fence...I was scared of my own two feet...Couldn't cross the line it was black and white...No contrast to be seen...What would you do...What would you do...Do you know?"**

Jason and Max exited the elevator, Jason quickly reaching for his knife tucked against his ankle, knowing that they couldn't stir up a ruckus at the hotel without causing one hell of a scene. He just hoped that Sam was alright and that no scene what so ever needed to be made.

All his hopes were shot to hell in the next moments following him inserting is key into the lock. Jason pushed the door open to see a man lunge at a smaller figure garnering a vase and watched as the vase crashed to the man's head without bringing him to the floor.

The attacker ignore the influx of light and tackled the smaller figure, taking her to the floor...

A big mistake...

"**Was it all a joke, never had control...I'm not better on my own...I'm not over...I'm not over you just yet...Cannot hide it...you're not that easy to forget...I'm not over..."**

Sam crashed the vase on her attacker only to feel him slam into her taking her bodily to the floor as some sudden flash of light shown over them and she wondered if he'd knocked her senseless. She felt his hands make it around her throat once more and then suddenly he was gone...gone and there was a scuffle and struggle and a groan and gasp and something that sounded like a sickening squish and another grunt and groan and Sam was rolling, trying to get her knees under her, every muscle protesting, her breathing coming fast and hard...

"**What a waste of time, the thought crossed my mind...Can't explain this thing, or what I means...I'm trying to let go...but I'm not over...I'm not over you just yet...Cannot hide it...you're not that easy to forget...I'm not over..."**

Jason took the guys down in a heart beat as soon as he realized that he was on top of Sam and that was it. Where he would normally have kept the man alive in order to find out who and where and what else to expect something snapped inside him and the man was laying dead beneath him, quelling the threat so that he could make sure that she was alright, his breath a prayer on his lips as he fumbled to get to her in to the floor, finding her winded and breathing in pain as Max closed the door behind them and turned on the light just in time for Jason and Sam's eyes to meet, both panting in absolute terror...

Until they saw each other...

Another emotion entirely took over...

"**I'm not over..." **

**Last song "I'm Not Over" By Carolina Liar**


	4. It's All the Same

**Daydreams**

**Happy 4th! Hope everyone has an awesome and safe weekend. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Lots of love and huggles :)**

**All The Same**

_She was trembling. Adrenaline and blind panic seemed to have that effect. Like the warmth of a fire bringing hypothermic limbs back to life, Jason's arms were her life line, stilling the raging storm of chemical reactions and fear and replacing them with a storm of an entirely different animal. Deep umber met sky as a splash of light and the thudding of the door closing fell to the background, a buzz in a cacophony of swirling passions._

_Skin against skin, his arm supported her against her upper back, as she lay at a an angle against him. Her robe had fallen from her shoulder, but she still remained mostly covered, still the contact was enough to illicit a shiver of a different nature down her spine. His touch, his eyes, there was so much there, so gentle and scared and loving and it was everything that she felt and so much more mirrored back at her. There were supposed to be words, words like 'are you okay?' or 'you're here.' There were supposed to be words, questions, something more that breath against breath, fighting for clear though. There was supposed to be..._

_Neither of them could have even guessed who moved first but they suddenly crashed together, lips meeting as Jason pulled her against them arms wrapping around her as hers fought to encircle him. In one moonlit moment of passion they were saying everything that needed to be said at least in the moment. It was a war of 'I care about you's ' an outpouring of emotions that met and mingled in a whirlpool of lips and teeth and tongues, as though they could possibly get everything out right there and then...but then there was too much left unsaid to believe that. Still, they gave it their best effort. _

_Again, it was hard to say who broke away first, but it was Jason who spoke, for Sam was fighting to simply breath by then. He cupped her cheeks, having slid into the floor, legs shifting under her, now his knees supported her back as he held her so close to him. "You never should have come here." Jason knew the moment the words out of his mouth and he saw her eyes narrow in hurt that he should have said it differently. He was worried about her, scared to death of all that he didn't know and the what if's were strangling him as she had almost been strangled because of him. _

"_I didn't mean to..." Sam had to stop as he fought to get her breath again. The fight and the kiss had her struggling, but oh how she fought. "I knew it was..." She pushed away, working on steadying herself without the safety of his arms. The kiss was falling to the background, a memory of a glimpse of love a heart beat away as reality came crashing back down around them. "Wrong." _

"_Sam," Jason wasn't trying to chastise her for taking the flight or the room. He felt horrible that she had walked into a trap meant for him and was more mad at himself than anyone. He couldn't even add in the other factors yet, the fact that she was sick. "That's not what I me..." She scrambled to her feet and Jason came after her seeing how she still struggled to catch her breath and seemed to pushing herself too far to fast. _

"_No, I shouldn't..." Sam was reeling, her mind muddled with a the whirl of emotions and stirred up feelings and then there was the dead body and her questions about Jason and then the whole relapse problem all vying for her attention while she was trying to just breath. "I shouldn't have..."Sam swayed slightly as her eyes lit on the dead man in the floor and she suddenly noticed that Max was there. She'd met him a time or two with Carly...She managed a half wave before she suddenly p itched to the side, eyes rolling back into her head before she fell into Jason's arms._

Jason gulped in the coffee as he turned on the balcony, sunlight washing over him. He'd cleaned up the room with Max's help and gotten a shower, now clothed in jeans and a t-shirt as he adjusted the phone against his ear and shifted the curtains to see Sam still asleep tucked in soundly in the bed. "No. Kline was working for Proto. He came to the Melia to kill me and he nearly took Sam out instead. I want Proto now." Jason said softly, knowing he had quite a few others to take out before this was all over. "Well find him." He got out in a seething growl before she closed the phone and walked back into the room giving a nod to Max who flipped a magazine page quietly where he sat at Sam's bedside.

Max nodded back and Jason opened the door to the office quickly closing it behind him so that the noise didn't wake Sam. She'd been threw a lot and was banged and bruised pretty badly, but seemed to be just absolutely exhausted. Jason closed the door behind him, hoping that they had a moment to talk soon, that he could convince her that heading back home was the right move right now.

"Tell me you have something." Jason kept his voice down but spoke loud enough for Spinelli to hear him over the clacking of his fingers against the keys.

"You mean like why there is an army of hit men out there?" Spinelli scoffed.

"Spinelli, I know why everyone is out right now. I need to know who's here and who they are working for." Jason replied barely keeping the anger in check as he kicked open his suitcase and grabbed a security uniform for another hotel from the case.

"You're going ahead with the hit on Raj?" Spinelli asked him in disbelief.

"I'm here. It's half an hour away and I already know the guys schedule inside and out. Yes, I'm going through with it before the man has a chance to kill Aldez or his 4 year old twins." Jason shot back already pulling his shirt off to get changed. "Have something for me by the time I get back." He wasn't being rude, just a little short, but Spinelli already knew why and was forgiving in light of current circumstances.

**ZZZZZZZZZZZZ**

Johnny Zacchara adjusted the phone as he set the newspaper down on the table before, taking in the morning sun in Cuzco. "It's done." He said simply. "I took out Benz, Franks got Raj, Morgan will come on board before the week is out." Johnny said with a smile as he scooped some strawberries onto his plate to join the eggs and toast that room service brought up. He heard the balcony door shift and looked over his shoulder to his goddess pulling her robe closed as she made her way out. "Gotta go." He ended the call with the push of a button all his focus on Lulu as she sank into the seat beside him.

"I thought you were here for me." She smiled in a flirty antagonistic manner as she grabbed a strawberry or four and lined her own plate with them.

"I am." Johnny smiled as he tugged her chair closer to him playfully and ran his hand up her knee. "But like you I have to mix the business with the pleasure." He explained softly.

"Right." Lulu didn't seem thrilled as she was slowly realizing that his surprise probably had more to due with what he had to do in Peru than the coincidence that her shoot was here. The realization was making it harder to even think about telling him. She knew she had to, but that didn't mean she had to right now, especially with so many doubts traipsing around her brain.

And to her credit Johnny wasn't exactly inspiring confidence coming out of the blue from no where working on a hit for his family. They didn't talk about his business all that often, but she didn't kid herself as to what it was he did. "Lulu, I am here for you. I'm done, well mostly. But I'm here for you." Johnny promised her in what sounded like honesty but she wasn't sure. "You know more than anyone that sometimes the business follows you even when you're not expecting it."

And expecting seemed to be the problem. She closed her eyes, trying to think of how to tell him that he was going to be a father. Her mind was reeling around the idea, still trying to come to grips with the fact that she was going to be a mother. She just needed to know that he could put her and the baby first and seeing what she was now had her fears alight. "I know that." She acknowledged with a nod. "But I need to talk to you and I want you to schedule some business free time for us for tomorrow night." She asked him, meeting his eyes.

It was the reluctance there, the brief hesitance that struck even more fear into her heart, but he soon melted into the idea and met her eyes. "Done."

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

Sam jerked awake and fought the terror that sank in when she realized someone was sitting aside the bed, until memory flooded back and she realized it was just Max. "Sorry if I startled you, Sam." Max told her softly as he quickly put the magazine away and rose to his feet, hands shifted to his pockets. It took a moment before she could speak but she quickly shook her head.

"No, no it's okay." She managed finally as realization dawned that her dreams were actually reality and her nightmare mingled with daydream seemed to all the same as she recalled the events from the early morning hours from the midnight before. She realigned her robe as she shifted herself out from under the covers with a quick comb over the room to find that Jason was no where to be seen.

Maybe he'd realized that the kiss was a mad moment between the both of them and didn't want to talk about it, thus leaving her with Max? She wasn't even sure she knew what to think. "Jason, gone?" She asked simply. And what did she expect? Jason came to her aid over something that obviously had to do with what he was into and she had stumbled into and now he was gone, his last words resounding in her head.

She shouldn't have come here. It was wrong to steal some one else's trip and she had no one else to blame for what had befallen her the night before save herself. Jason saved her and that was it. They got caught up in the adrenaline rush and now he was sorry for it. "He stepped out, but he'll be back." Max replied gently. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I forgot to get the license of the truck that hit me." Sam smiled as she headed to the bathroom to get changed. She knew she could catch the train for Cuzco if she hurried. And she wanted to go. Wanted to leave things alone until she finished what she came here to do. She and Jason could talk more back home, when her spiritual journey was over.

As much as she valued his service to ridding the world of psychos she knew that they were on different paths at the moment. "Can I get you anything?" Max asked sympathetic for her plight as he was already on his feet should she need him at all.

"Some breakfast would be great." Sam called over her shoulder before she disappeared out of his sight and closed the bathroom door behind her glancing into the mirror to behold the mess that she had become. Sam lost what remained of her smile as she took in the dark bruising around her neck and the black eye that she's been feeling since she woke. Damn.

Bruising easily was a symptom, just like the fatigue and the nose bleeds. She'd been kidding herself over the last few weeks, that she was just a little run down, fighting the very idea that fate was hot on her trail. She couldn't believe that she had lied to herself so well. Sam sank onto the side of the bathtub unable to look at herself any more as she let her gaze fall to the floor, distracting herself with Jason's worries.

He was here to kill people and and well she didn't really know who, just some names on in some files but there was a common connection to them so she supposed that it had to do with something with the IRA, though what she had no idea. Sam was sure that despite what Jason's field was, that he was doing the right thing, it was just so hard to even wrap her mind around it all and to sit around and find out while she was still so drive to fulfill Jenny's last wish...

Sam had to admit that she was torn because there was a part of her that wanted to see some justice done, as if watching these bastards be taken off the planet could make something right and she was sure that it could, but it wouldn't right what she wanted. Selfish...yeah...in a way.

"_I didn't even know there so many documentaries on the place." Sam laughed softly as she adjusted Jenny's blanket. She had been feeling better over the last few days and thought that any day now Jenny would join her in the recovery. _

"_I kn...know" Jenny shivered it out as she tucked her arms under the blanket thankfully. "It just looks so beautiful." Sam had to agree with what they had been able to find on the local cable and travel channels. _

"_There are lots of places that are beautiful though," Sam sank into the bed next to her friend, hugging her tightly. "Why do you really want to go?" _

_There was as long pause as Jenny adjusted herself in Sam's arms and grew still there. "It's timeless." She finally told her. "A whole place that used to be filled with people and now no one will every forget them, because they built something that not even nature could destroy." Jenny finally whispered out. "I guess when it comes down to it, we all want to be remembered." _

_Sam kissed her head gently understanding more than she ever could have if she hadn't been starring her own mortality on the face. "We will be, Jenny." She promised her. _

Sam dressed and got ready, using Max's distraction with breakfast as he moment. She needed this, needed to go it alone. She couldn't expect anyone to understand and she wasn't about to try. Jason would come to realize that they made a mistake and she would be back home so they could talk about it later. Leaving his itinerary behind should leave her out of the path of whatever was coming after him that he could obviously handle especially with reinforcements now.

She would call later to make sure he was alright and let him know that she was so he didn't worry.

"**I don't mind where you come from...as long as you come to me...I don't like illusions I can't see...them clearly...I don't care no I wouldn't dare...to fix the twist in you...You've shown me eventually what you'll do..."**

Jason sat poised over the bed of one Raj Trebejo, peering through the vent shaft he'd gained access due to careful planning and a convincing disguise watching carefully as the string connected to the syringe of poison poised to carry the drops into the napping man's mouth dangled into place. This one was supposed to look like an accident...

The string steadied, in place and he plunged the syringe, watching carefully as the liquid drained down the string headed for it's target. Three drops was all he needed to induce a heart attack and no one would be the wiser.

"**I don't mind...I don't care...as long as you're here...go ahead tell me you'll leave again...you'll just come back running...holding your scarred heart in hand...it's all the same...and I'll take you for who you are...if you take me for everything...do it all over again...it's all the same..." **

Carly boarded the plane still on the phone, knowing she only had a few minutes before she had to turn it off. "I know it's hard for you to understand, but I can't leave this to Jase, Sonny. I realized I should have gone last night."

She scoffed in disbelief at the reply and shook her head before she went on. "Yes, He can bring her back safe, but dragging her back kicking and screaming isn't going to work this time." She retorted angrily. "He needs my help." Carly hadn't explained all the in and outs to Sonny but she knew them. Jason needed more help on this one. It wasn't some recon. It was someone she knew he loved and she wanted to make sure that they still loved each other when it was all said and done. She didn't care what was supposed to happen in South America...she was going to in act her own sort of fate...

"**Hours slide and days go by...til you decide to come...and in between it always seems to long...all of a sudden...and I have the skill...yeah I have the will...to breath you in while I can...however long you stay is all that I am..."**

Lulu climbed out of the limo with Maxie on her heels the both of them on their phones as they headed into the latest barrage of camera's heading in to make sure that the models made it to the latest shoot on time. She was checking her voice mail as Maxie argued with someone over ice sculptures.

"Lulu, I should be in Cuzco in 8 hours." She frowned knowing that was Sam's voice. What in the world? She was coming to Cuzco? Wow. What was going on? Lulu was excited and scared all at once wondering which one should be winning out.

"**I don't mind...I don't care...as long as you're here...go ahead tell me you'll leave again...you'll just come back running...holding your scarred heart in hand...it's all the same...and I'll take you for who you are...if you take me for everything...do it all over again...it's alway the same..." **

Sam sank into the train seat after stowing her bag in her compartment, glancing out the window as her fingers danced over her lips, remembering their kiss from the night before. Maybe she shouldn't be running. Maybe she shouldn't be leaving him behind. Maybe she shouldn't think so much...

She didn't notice Max boarding the train as he hung up the phone and sank into a seat far behind her.

"**Wrong or right...black or white...if I close my eyes...it's all the same...in my life...the compromise...I close my eyes...it's all the same...Go ahead say it...you're leaving...you'll just come back running...holding your scarred heart in hand...it's all the same...and I'll take you for who you are...if you take me for everything...do it all over again..."**

Jason watched as the poison moved towards Raj's mouth, on pins and needles waiting for this to be over when all at once the door to the hotel room below him slammed open and a barrage of gun fire sounded below. Jason's eyes widened in horror as he realized he'd be made as soon as they saw the string dangling over the man.

No sooner had the realization hit him then he was dodging the barrage of gun fire aimed in his direction.

Jason rolled, fighting the urge to scream when he felt a bullet graze his right arm near the shoulder and he took out the stand that he was using to deliver the drug to his sleeping victim. He got to his knees, reserve gun in hand fired in an attempt to buy himself enough cover to get to safety and exit the hazards of this botched job...

"**It's all the same..." **

**Last song "It's All the Same." By Sick Puppies**


	5. I just Wanna Live

**Daydreams**

**So my muse is still playing favorites with Daydreams at the moment. I bummed my knee up moving furniture and I might have a few days to actually write, not that I'm happy about my bum knee, more the consolation of being able to write :P Thanks so much to anyone reading and/or reviewing and I STILL hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. **

Just a quick note:** There is no actual train that travels from Lima to Cuzco, but hey this is fiction so in my crazy little brain there is! :P**

**I Just Wanna Live**

Jason cursed a blue streak, hidden in an alleyway after tossing the equipment meant to poison his mark and the rest of the bloodied clothes, now clad in a t-shirt and over shirt, meant to conceal the blood soaked piece of material now tightly wrapped around his upper arm. Day light was swiftly fading and he was waiting for the cover of night to move. The whole thing was botched beyond belief and now with the hit man that had come for his job dead as well as the mark, who was also a hit man, there were going to be a lot of question from the international community.

Jason dialed Spinelli, finally. He needed him to get everyone packed up and headed out of town, hell didn't matter where, just anywhere but here. "Jackal." Spinelli answered the phone on the second ring sounding a little winded. Jason didn't have time to entertain the very thought of what he was doing.

"I need everything packed up and everyone out of town in under an hour. Make it happen." Jason ordered him wincing as he got to his feet, ready to move. "I'll be back at the room in 15 tops."

"Roger Wilco, I will see what I can do, Sir." Spinelli replied which had Jason pulling the phone away from his ear with a growing frown. "Over and out."

"Right...see you." Jason couldn't say anything because of the possibility that someone was listening in, but Spinelli had used Roger Wilco which meant that he was in trouble...and with Standsfield knowing the room already... Jason cursed under his breath again.

Sam was in danger again and what of Max? This was insane. This fucking war was insane. Some glory happy ex-PIRA members wanted to reinvent the romanticized group that fought for independence so many years back and now were trying to pad their coffers with some of the best hit men in the world. They were trying to turn their new movement into some hit man's union, that they had the utmost control over.

Profitable? Yes. If you were on the upper echelon.

Feasible? Possibly. Depending on the response they got and Jason had to say it looked like they had a nice one considering there were three teams forming.

Since the begin of all this in mid April the lines were being drawn fast and furiously as all sorts of criminal organizations wanted to get in on the ground floor of the venture looking to have a larger stake in the control of the elite force.

Security firms like Sonny's were the first targets and they were getting hounded hard, but Jason had faith that Sonny and his men could weather the coming storm. After that it was political affiliates and enemies of the founding PIRA's new little IRA group. They were taking out anyone that would knowingly oppose them. Which included a lot of Jason's contacts over the years, Good men and women.

The IRA wasn't just taking out those they saw at threats though, they were taking out their entire families. The playing field was getting dangerous with normally loyal folk changing sides, like Stansfield. There were three factions in this new insanity.

The IRA and those loyal to it.

Those that opposed them.

And those trying to stay neutral.

Jason opposed the new movement whole-heartedly. He already served his own type of justice and only took the cases that he wanted to and he did that for a reason. He wasn't about to start taking orders from some douche trying to unionize hit men all over the world for his own personal gain. This whole things needed to be quelled and quickly.

And Jason was only more motivated now that Sam had been dragged into the middle of it, especially with everything she was already trying to deal with and now Spinelli and Max...He wanted to take these bastards down hard and follow up the chain of command until the whole organization was obliterated.

First things first though...he needed to get into the hotel room and get everyone out alive.

Dammit all...

**ZZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Did she say why she was coming down?" Maxie asked in wide-eyed wonder as she stood on her tip – toes to look over a models shoulder, whose gown she was trying to fix.

Lulu shook her head just as surprised. "I thought she was swamped this week. I'm worried, Maxie." Lulu confided and she was worried about more than Sam, now that Johnny was acting funny without her having brought up that she was pregnant yet. Hell she hadn't told anyone.

"Worry about the shoot, not Sam. She won't be here for hours. We still have to get through this first." Maxie huffed out as she finished up and she looked back in time to get a nod from Lulu. Lulu wanted to take her up on that, but right at that moment as Maxie turned to help someone else, her phone went off.

"Hello?" She asked, moving to try and find a quiet enough area to hear whoever it was.

"Lulu," Carly rushed out. "Have you heard from Sam?" She asked loudly a backdrop of noise accompanying the question.

"I got a message earlier. She's headed to Cuzco." Lulu replied quickly. "Why? Carly, what's going on?"

"I can't explain now. I'm trying to catch a connecting flight." Carly did sound as if she'd been running. "Okay I'll be in Cuzco then as soon as possible. Do not let Sam or Jason leave."

"Jason?" Lulu asked in confusion but a click and crackle of static sounded before the phone went to nothing. "Dammit."

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Daniel Barton and Justin Elliot stepped off the plane in Lima in route to the Melia ready to meet up with Jason. They owed him and he was collecting. They were also highly paid hit men that were very much opposed to the new IRA. They were partners in every way that mattered.

"Is he still in sight?" Daniel asked Justin quietly, knowing that Justin had taken to looking into the new arrival they were both concerned about.

"He's hopping a cab into town." Justin nodded.

"Better get on the phone. I'll head to Melia to for the meet. You stay with Anthony Zacchara." Daniel nodded. They met each others eyes just briefly enough for silent understanding to pass between them before they headed off in different directions without a moments hesitation.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Sam stepped off the train, wanting to feel the sun on her skin for a few minutes as she walked out her stiffness from falling asleep in the train. She'd dreamed about Jason. God her every thought seemed to be drawn to him and she let it. She wanted to avoid other thoughts. It was a bitter sweet trade off.

She knew he didn't rush down here to see her. He had a job to do. But last night, Sam closed her eyes, remembering the feel of his lips against hers mingled with the pain of the fight before. Was it just the passion of the moment? Has she instigated it? Was he just responding? Surely he was. After all he said that she shouldn't have come. She was off his path now, though, making her own...for Jenny. She needed to just forget all about him saving her.

She needed to put it just far enough behind her to finish what she started.

Sam moved through the large crowd outside the train and leaned back the outdoor station wall, soaking up the rays, letting the warmth ease her fatigue, lend her some strength.

"Sam?" Sam shook herself, opening her eyes to find Stansfield standing before her. What the hell? She wasn't so much of an optimist to think that this was a coincidence. Sam felt every muscle tightening as she looked around her, trying to assess the situation better, to see if he had anyone with him and just how screwed she was.

Stansfield was supposed to be an acquaintance of Jason's but that didn't mean that they were trusted friends. She didn't know who to trust now. She thought that escaping the scene would some how make her safe. Leave the rest of Jason's fight to him. She inwardly kicked herself. She should have known better. "Fancy meeting..."

"Drop it. What do you want?" Sam asked shortly. He hadn't made any overtly threatening moves, but he wasn't backing off any either. There was an air of confidence surrounding him that was unsettling.

"I just need a moment of your time." She knew it wasn't that simple. She finally spotted a man that was with him, watching from a distance, but she caught sight of his gun tucked under his over shirt in hand. Stansfield reached for Sam's arm and she started to pull away. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"You don't know what you would do if you were me." Sam replied evenly as she let him take her arm for now. "You don't know me."

"I would like to think that I know you well enough." Stansfield steered them towards a car parked on the side of the road in a string of other cars at the station small town station.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"You have got to be kidding me!" Johnny screamed into the phone having gotten word on the flub up at Jason's last hit. Dammit.

Johnny hated this. He truly did. This was so insane on a global scale and his father had shoved them into it without even asking him. Jason coming around, right. Sure he had said it in all confidence, but he knew Jason wasn't coming around in fact Johnny was thinking of defecting over to his side. He was simply concerned about his father trying to take out Lulu in retaliation. He needed to make sure she was safe before he made his move.

He was glad she asked for a time out from business tonight. It would give him a chance to tell her how much he loved her and to ask for her forgiveness in this venture so far, before he popped the possibility that they might have to go on the run.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"**I need an alarm system in my house...so I know when people are...creeping about...these people are freaking me out ( these days)...It's getting hectic everywhere that I go...they won't leave me alone...there's things they all wanna know..."**

Jason made his way up the stairs, shying away from any video cameras as he clutched his gun in hand, extra mag in his pocket. These assholes were going down. He needed to make sure everyone was safe and get them all securely out of town so that he could explain to Sam what was going on and why she needed to get as far away from him as possible.

Realizing that she was sick got through to him, got him to stop denying his feelings for her and now he needed to make sure that she lived long enough to make a full recovery. He would do what needed to be done and then be there for her.

"**I'm paranoid of all the people I meet...Why are they talking to me...And why can't anyone see...I just wanna live...Don't really care about the things that they say...Don't really care about what happens to me...I just wanna live...just wanna live...just wanna live...just wanna live..."**

Sam sank into the backseat of the car feeling every instinct telling her to get ready to fight. Her instincts made good when she saw Stansfield's friend get in behind him, gun coming out. "I thought this was going to be a friendly conversation." Sam looked up to meet Stansfield's eyes in disdain for his ambush.

"It can be." Stansfied agreed. "So long as you are in agreement to our cause." He assured her.

"What cause is that?" She asked quickly, noticing something funny about the driver between the partition of the Limo, his eyes meeting hers in recognition in purpose.

"We want you to join the IRA's cause." Sam didn't know what that meant but she knew it wasn't a good thing judging from everything that had happened so far.

"And If I don't?" She asked, so very tired of this. She was battling to many demons to take on many more.

"You'll regret it..." Stansfield assured her.

"**I rock a law suite when I'm going to court...a white suite when I'm getting divorced...a black suite at the funeral home...and my birthday suite when I'm home alone...Talking on the phone...got an interview...with the rolling stone...they're saying now...now you're rich and now you're famous... fake ass girls all know your name...lifestyles of the rich and famous...your first hit aren't you ashamed...of the life, of the life, of the life we're living..." **

Jason pushed the electronic key into the lock and watched the light flash from red to green, taking in a deep breath before he kicked the door open, not even aware that Daniel was on the elevator about to have his back as he headed into the room with guns blazing, taking down man after man.

He opened fire, dodging shots as he looked cautiously for Spinelli, Sam and Max. He used the door as cover but soon had to enter into no man's land, finding Spinelli standing over the last guy who the cyber geek had slammed his laptop into, knocking him out with a head shot.

"Where's Sam and Max?" Jason asked just as Daniel burst into the room in time for Jason to whirl on him – everyone screaming out words of warning until they realized they were all on the same side. Jason then looked back to Spinelli for answers...

"**...I just wanna live...Don't really care about the things that they say...Don't really care about what happens to me...I just wanna live...stop your messing around boy...better think of your ****future...better make some good plans boy...said everyone of my teachers...look out you better play it safe...you'll never know what hard times will come your way...we say where we're coming from...we've already seen the worse that life can bring..."**

Sam scoffed with a shake of her head. "You have a lot of nerve. Threatening me." She was beyond livid and hell she was already halfway out the door as it was, why should she give into this threat?

When there was nothing much left to lose, it was hard to see the upside of caution. Sam lunged across the seat and landed an elbow jab to the man with the guns throat in time to catch his gun as Max spun over the back of the front seat his own gun drawn.

Sam settled back in the seat gun trained on the men as Max backed her up a smug smile growing across her face in light that her move actually worked. Pure luck seemed to be on her side.

"**Now we expect it everywhere that we go...all the things that they say...yeah we already know...I just wanna live...Don't really care about the things that they say...Don't really care about what happens to me...I just wanna live...just wanna live...just wanna live...just wanna live..."**

"Sam left and Max followed her he called to tell me that they left on a train bound for Cuzco." Spinelli got to Jason as he looked between and him and Daniel, trying to breath after the fire fight. "Max hasn't checked back in, but Carly called to let you know that she was flying in to Cuzco and Daniel called." he motioned to Daniel taking a moment to catch his breath. "To say that Anthony was in town."

"Justin's tailing him." Daniel spoke up immediately.

Jason looked between the two of them in horror that Sam was out there, but Max was with her. Still he had to focus on her. "Daniel, look into Anthony. Spinelli pack up and come on we have to head for Cuzco." Jason didn't even want to think about Carly coming yet...there was already entirely too much.

"Oh God you're bleeding." Spinelli noticed the blood on Jason's shirt after he's already mostly packed and Daniel was already back out the door headed to intercept his partner and Anthony.

"It's nothing." Jason promised him as he grabbed his bags and headed out the door...

"**I just wanna live..."**

**Last Song "I Just Wanna Live" By Good Charlotte **


	6. Goodbye Apathy

**Daydreams**

**Thanks about the knee :) It's already feeling bunches better. I've got lots of ideas for Heir and even Twist. I still need to spur my muse on Isle, but I'll get to them all before too long. Stress about school starting soon is helping to spur the muses. **

**Thanks for everyone who is reading and/or reviewing. Hope you enjoy! **

**Lol – I doubt anyone reads this part much, but was wondering, does anyone actually listen to the songs that I use in the chapters? **

**Goodbye Apathy**

"Looks like you're going to get your wish." Max closed his phone and looked to Sam's arched eyebrow as if she was silently questioning what wish he was talking about. "Going to Cuzco."

"Oh that wasn't a wish," Sam pushed off the side of the limo ignoring the thumping from the trunk. "If you weren't going to take me, I'd find another way." She assured him.

"Why do you want to get there so bad?" Max narrowed his eyes with a shrug of questioning. "The crimson shoot? Maxie and Lulu?" He clearly didn't understand that she had motivations bigger than popping in on a few friends.

"Nope." Sam replied as she tucked the gun she'd stolen from Stansfield's friend into the waist band of her jeans and she quickly climbed into the passenger seat. Max gave a huff in frustration before he followed her into the car, the two of them now traveling companions as he was going to driver her the rest of the way.

"So why then?" Max asked as he climbed behind the wheel.

"It's personal." Sam replied as though he should have already known to let it drop.

"Right." Max took a deep breath and sighed, the both of them acting as though the thudding from the back seat now wasn't reminding them that Stansfield and friend were now safely locked away, awaiting a not so friendly chat with Jason once they reached Cuzco.

Sam reached to turn the radio on and frowned when all she picked up was static.

"It's hit or miss out here." Max explained as he pulled them out onto the open road to get them headed in the right direction.

Sam turned it off with a nod and looked to Max with a small smile. "Sorry. I don't mean to be so cryptic. I just don't want to talk about it. Thank you for coming to my rescue in the car."

"I think you pretty much had it under control. I just came as backup." Max smiled, feeling a little more at ease with her now that the hostilities were dying down. Max and Sam already had a rich relationship as Sonny and his security firm used her to book trips when he couldn't provide the transportation himself.

"What did you do with his driver?" Sam asked as she had yet to see the man Max had knocked out when he took his place upon seeing that Sam was about to be kidnapped.

"I left him tied up back at the train station. Someone should find him soon." Max chuckled softly. "He'll be okay."

"So no one will miss the limo?" Sam asked worriedly wondering not so much if it would be reported stolen as she was worried that more people were going to be coming after them.

"Not if they know what's good for them." Max nodded knowingly.

"I hope they do then." Sam chuckled nervously as she reclined her seat and got comfortable. She was exhausted. "I don't suppose you can tell me what's going on?"

"I would if I could, Sam. I really don't know all about it yet. Sonny knows more than I do but he didn't get a chance to clue me in before he sent me with Jason and well he's been far too busy to tell me either. I think some of it just hoping to keep me out of it without my knowledge of what they're battling, but that won't cut it now. We should both get a detailed explanation in Cuzco."

"Whose going to do the explaining?" Sam perked up a little as she wondered if Sonny was flying down as well or if Max was referring to someone else, or maybe...Jason?

Max took his eyes off the road to give Sam a cautious look over as though measuring her up when he heard the note in her voice at the mention of Jason's name. "Jason." He took in the sheer relief and peaked nervousness as though Sam was both overjoyed to hear it and terrified at the same time and he finally had his suspicions confirmed. They were head over heels for each other and for some unknown reason both running from the very thought.

He let it go though as Sam yawned tiredly and he could see she was worn ragged. Max had to wonder at that though as while she had been through quite the ordeal today and the night before it was only sunset. She'd slept on the train as well. She wasn't looking so hot either, like she was sick. "Why don't you get some sleep. I'll wake you when we get there." Max promised her.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Eyes on the road." Jason called at the edge of anger over the seat back that divided the front seat from the back. He wanted to make sure that the cab driver he was paying handsomely was going to get them there alive instead of gawking at Spinelli trying to help him patch up his arm up.

"Y...you said it was nothing." Spinelli was more upset about it that Jason was.

"I've had worse, trust me." Jason assured him as he leaned back against the seat. Jason narrowed his eyes worriedly as Spinelli was looking a little green taking in the blood seeping down his arm. "Spinelli, you better not pass out." he warned him. "Just clean it out and sew it closed. It's easy. It doesn't have to look to perfect, just close the damn gash so I can get it to stop bleeding."

"I...I..." Spinelli was going to tell him that he wasn't about to puke but he had to stop talking to fight the urge. Finally he closed his eyes and Jason rolled his.

"Give it here." Jason got out through clenched teeth as he grabbed the shot sized vial of vodka and doused his graze with it, biting back the pain as Spinelli looked away in horror. "Thread the needle at the very least." Jason tossed Spinelli the travel sewing kit as the sun began to dwindle low against the horizon.

Spinelli handed Jason the threaded needle a flew minutes later and then turned away once more picking up his cell phone, thankful that it was going off to give him the distraction as Jason began to stitch up his own arm, soft strained grunts of pain making it way through his clenched teeth every now and again.

"Oh, hi Carly." Spinelli greeted her happily. "Oh no, everything's fine." Spinelli looked back over his shoulder as she had obviously asked about the background noise. "Jason's just...he's..." Spinelli jumped at whatever response Carly had for him and quickly replied. "He's sewing up his arm...no no no...he's fine. He just got grazed and he's just stemming in the bleeding..." There was another pause and a growing frown as Spinelli was obviously getting a tongue lashing. "Well I tried but I almost threw up on him and he didn't...well no...Sam's not here."

Spinelli felt a slap of Jason's hand against his back and looked to see Jason in wide eyed silent questioning as to why he'd said that. "What? She's not."

Jason looked ready to strangle him with his bare hands and Spinelli finally got it. Jason was trying to cause Carly less worry. Obviously she thought that Jason and Sam were traveling to Cuzco together. "She's fine though, Max is with her." Spinelli bumbled out as fast as he could trying to right the wrong of truth telling.

"We're all meeting up in Cuzco tonight." Spinelli promised. "You're what?" Spinelli frowned. Spinelli looked up to meet Jason's concerned eyes as he finished putting the last stitch in his upper arm. "She just landed. She said she's headed to Maxie and Lulu's suite and that she will call with her room number once she's settled in." Spinelli explained as he got of the phone with her. "She's not happy."

Jason looked at Spinelli in disbelief as he tongued his belt out from between his lips where he'd pulled it to help bite down while trying to sewing up his arm. "You...really...need to work on your people skills." Jason motioned to the first aid kit peaking out of his bag. "Hand me a band-aid."

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"I left the note at the front desk." Maxie promised Lulu as they climbed into the limo. Johnny had agreed to meet Lulu at the latest after party before they went out for their one on one time. "If anyone comes a calling they will send them to Mythology. They'll find us." Maxie assured her even though she could tell that Lulu was worried about it. She caught her friend by the arm as they sank into the seat. "It's going to be okay." She promised her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm just," Lulu took a breath and sighed out before she went on. "I'm just overly anxious for some reason. I know it's going to be alright." She gave Maxie a watery smile hoping that she would buy it and leave her alone.

"You've been anxious for days, Lulu." Maxie wasn't letting it go. "Sam's just taking a vacation, a much deserved one and Johnny's like right down the street about to meet up with you any minute. The shoots have been phenomenal. What is wrong with you?"

"I'll tell you as soon as I talk to Johnny." Lulu had stuck to her guns about telling Johnny first and she wasn't about to give up on it, no matter how much she wanted to tell her friend.

"What can't you tell me before you tell Johnny?" Maxie asked and as soon as the question was out of her mouth Maxie's eyes widened and she looked to Lulu in absolute shock and wonder. "You're pregnant!"

"Maxie..." Lulu whirled in the limo and looked to Maxie in horror. She was caught so off guard that she couldn't think of how to dodge the accusation thrown her way. "You can't say anything!" Lulu breathed out in a rush, keeping her voice low.

Maxie clasped a hand over her mouth as the revelation was confirmed and she quickly then grabbed up Lulu's hands in her own, dropping her voice to match as though the limo driver was some threat to their privacy. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just told you...I wanted to tell Johnny first." Lulu replied with a confused furrow of her brow at Maxie's further inquisition.

"Oh, right." Maxie looked away a moment before she looked back just as excited as before. "Yeah but we could have pretended that you told him first."

Lulu arched her eyebrow with a scoff. And Maxie saw the error of her thinking. She wasn't exactly good with keeping anything a secret. "You cannot say anything to him."

"You're telling him tonight?" Maxie asked in wonder.

"I am. I don't know how he's going to take it. I mean this isn't exactly something that we planned." Lulu rationalized.

"Forget how he's going to take it. How are you taking it?" Maxie blurted out worriedly.

"I don't know. I mean I think I'm taking it well. I was scared at first, but the idea keeps growing on me." Lulu smiled as she met Maxie's eyes. "I'm getting excited now."

Maxie grabbed her hands once more and bounced with squeally joy. "I'm excited for you." She said and then quickly pulled her into a hug. "If Johnny knows what's good for him he will be too." She told her softly.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Carly felt like she had been up for the last 24 hours which was about right, but she wasn't going to let a little thing like exhaustion stop her from finding out what in the hell was going on down here. She got the directions from the hotel clerk and headed into the club Mythology, by passing the line with some carefully handled money slippage and her looks and special sort of charm...

Jason paid off the cab driver after they pulled into Mythology's parking lot, getting the tip off from Carly that this seemed to be where everyone was meeting. He and Spinelli walked side by side, Spinelli guarding his laptop, draped by the case over his left shoulder as he petted the case at his right side. Jason cut the line and paid their way in...

Sam sank into a chair outside the club, watching the crowd as it spilled out onto the large back patio of the club. Max sat across from her as they both perused the crowd looking for Maxie and Lulu or anyone – Mainly Jason. They had left the Limo tucked outside in the parking lot the trunk folks asleep at the moment...

Daniel and Justin followed Anthony Zacchara into the Mythology parking lot wondering at the throngs of people as they watched and waited for him to make any sort of move...

Johnny made his way in the door looking for Lulu, having no idea that his father was out in the parking lot about to secure a meeting with Proto himself...

"**I can't sleep...No, not like I used to...I can't breathe...in and out like I used to...It's breaking ice...now, to make any movement...What's your vice? You know that mine's the illusion..." **

Proto had been keeping careful tabs on everyone without acting and now knew that Jason and a not so trust worthy Johnny weren't looking to switch to his side as he watched as Anthony Zacchara sank into a seat across from him in his limo. "We have a problem..." He assured him as he flipped a whole folder of pictures at him, ranging from Jason to Spinelli, to Max and Carly, to Sam to Johnny to Maxie and Lulu who had left the note at the hotel counter.

"I want them all gone. If they aren't with us then they are our enemy." He told Anthony as he waited to see if he had to waste this guy as well. Anthony had put in a large donation for the IRA and he knew that the man wanted to see his investment make a profit so he hoped that despite the losses of his family that he would still be on board. He'd heard that he was the sort that wouldn't flinch at the proposal now presented to him.

And he'd heard right...Anthony didn't even flinch. "Then by all means, take them all out...now." Anthony moved into view, moonlight falling over his features as he met Proto's eyes unflinching to show just how serious he was.

"**All at once ( as I'm trying) I can help you out ( just to keep things right)...I'll be what you need ( I'll kill myself to make everything perfect for you) I'll do anything...Goodbye Apathy..." **

Jason spotted Carly first, sitting at the bar with Maxie and Lulu, Johnny approaching from behind them. He reached behind him, fingers crazing the butt of his gun beneath his t-shirt until he saw Lulu greet Johnny with a warm hug. Jason eased as he and Johnny met eyes over Lulu's shoulder briefly and there was a moment of unspoken truce that broke between them. "Stay with them," he told Spinelli quietly as he could over the music as he moved for the back door.

"**So long...apathy...So don't sit still...but don't you move...Away...from here..."**

"Oh, Jason!" Carly shouted but Jason didn't hear her as he was moving for the back door, just as Spinelli was walking up to meet up with her and the others. Carly lost her smile at that. "Where is he going?" She asked him disgruntled to say the least.

"To find Sam." Spinelli called out loudly just as the music hit a lull and everyone in the place looked in his direction. Spinelli felt rose flood his cheeks as Lulu was taking Johnny by the hand, also leading him out back.

"Wait, Sam's here?" Maxie called just in time to interrupt a fight that Carly was about to instigate with Spinelli.

"**So goodbye apathy( as I'm trying), so long fancy free (just to keep things right)...goodbye apathy (I'll kill myself to make everything perfect for you) ...I don't wanna be you..."**

Sam looked up at the sky, stars dancing before her as the reverberation from the music vibrated through her soul. Max was still across from her sipping on his beer as she contemplated the meaning of the universe she was starring up at, praying for answers to the questions swirling around in her brain.

"Penny for your thoughts." Sam jerked out of the trance and looked up as Jason's voice washed over her.

"I didn't think you'd make it here so fast." She got out nervously. It was a sort of thoughts to mouth kick from the surprise.

"I had great motivation." Jason smiled softly. Any chance that they could continue the conversation was suddenly taken from them as gun fire erupted from what seemed like everywhere.

"**I don't walk right, not like I used to...there's a jump in my step...as I rush to see you...I could be happy here...as long as you're near to me...as long as you're close to me..." **

Johnny covered Lulu as the gun fire erupted and he moved the whole group with them out the back as was his back up plan should anything go wrong. Slow motion had nothing on the events that played out as the music blasted to the gun fire and screams and He manhandled Lulu out the door, trying to give her as much cover as he could possibly muster as Carly, Maxie, And Spinelli all followed them, trying to take cover themselves.

He spotted Max and Jason as Jason jumped over the table and landed on top of Sam, knocking the both of them backwards in her chair as Max jumped to his feet, gun in hand, firing back at the men that had the perimeter surrounded. Dammit all this was bad. Tourists and locals were going down in a haul of gunfire as the ones they were after shielded themselves.

Panic rode high as screams lit the night.

"**Not that I'm alright ( As I'm trying ) I can help you out ( just to keep things right )...I'll be what you need ( I'll kill myself to make everything perfect for you) I'll do anything...Goodbye apathy..." **

Sam felt the wind knocked from her lungs as Jason tackled her, trying to get her low to the ground so that the bullets didn't touch her. There was one tiny moment where their eyes met and she realized that her lack of breathing was from mesmerization instead of the impact of their bodies colliding together.

"Jason!" It was the high pitched female scream that broke the spell and Jason looked over his shoulder to see Max, grabbing Carly around the waist as he spun the both of them around, trying to cover her as well as he could. Jason pulled his gun from his waist band just as...

Everyone whirled to the sound of crashing and scraping metal as a bus suddenly took out the iron fencing that surrounded the back of the club.

"**Goodbye apathy...So don't you stop...pushing me...I can take so much...So goodbye apathy (as I'm trying) so long fancy free ( just to keep things right )...goodbye apathy (kill myself to make everything perfect for you ) I don't wanna be ...you..." **

Jason peered through the night and with a relieved breath he realized that it was Daniel trying to save the day. Jason quickly wrapped his arms around Sam without a word of warning and brought her to his chest, fighting the pain that shot through is arm as he got to his feet and looked behind him to the others. "Get to the bus!" He screamed to his group and saw that Max, Johnny, and Spinelli at least heard him and were quick to act in response.

They jumped people fallen tot he ground and dodged the bullets as return fire surrounded them and they quickly bounded up the bus steps and got down as Daniel reversed the bus and slung them back towards the road.

"**Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too... Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too... Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too... Everybody is watching you, everybody is watching me too..." **

"What do you see?" Jason called out as Johnny approached, staying low everyone watching for tails. "One's coming up..." Jason started.

"Hard and fast" Johnny finished as he Jason and Max all opened fire on the vehicle behind them from out the back of the bus.

"**Goodbye Apathy..." **

**Last Song "Goodbye Apathy" by One Republic.**


	7. Crawl

**Daydreams**

**So hoping everyone had a great weekend and holiday. Thanks to everyone reading and/or reviewing. Hope you enjoy :) It's been decided ...I cannot write humor... :(**

**Crawl**

The bus sped down the road, gun fire still lighting the night as Johnny, Max, Jason, and now Justin were all situated hunkered down behind the last row bench seat, using it as cover as they rose to fire at the cars following them. Proto's men had regrouped and sent more after them. Luckily it didn't seem as the police were involved yet, or maybe their lack of involvement was Proto's doing as well. Between the roar of the road with Daniel pushing the bus as hard as he could and the gun fire coming both from the bus and at it...hearing anything was hit or miss.

Sam pushed herself up on her elbows, having landed unceremoniously half on the seat and half off when Jason put her down. She stayed low, knees hitting the floor as she used the seat as cover, trying to see where everyone else was and if they were alright. "Is anyone hurt?" She heard Spinelli call out.

Jason whirled blinking rapidly as he tried to clear the blotching phantoms of the cars headlights from his field of vision. Shooting for the radiators or wheels was hard enough when they weren't all getting blinded periodically from the high beams lighting them up as targets. He heard Spinelli's call and scoffed wondering what he was going to do to help, faint on them? He valued the man for his skills, but courage under fire or blood soaked conditions wasn't his strong suite.

"I'm fine." Daniel called as he dodged another hail of bullets and Johnny, Max and Justin all whirled back around awaiting a moment when they could return fire.

"Me too," Carly called out, spotting Sam as she moved, trying to see where everyone was. She furrowed her brow as the firing stopped and Maxie suddenly darted out from between the seats she had been situated and headed for Lulu who was a seat behind Johnny and Jason.

"I'm Good." Sam called.

"And me." Maxie shouted just as she reached Lulu and she gasped in shock, seeing a splash of maroon marring Lulu's middle.

Lulu was frantically trying to find where it was coming from to no avail. "I'm not shot. I don't think I'm...I'm..."

"Oh my God the baby..." Maxie joined her frantic efforts, both of them tugging at her dress.

Jason knew the minute he heard Maxie's utterance that Johnny was out for a moment and he rose as to return fire with Justin and Max.

"The what?" Johnny came around the seat in horror to see Maxie and Lulu both yanking her dress over her hips and abdomen, fingers racing to find where the blood was coming from. And just like that Johnny was joining in with them in the endeavor. Finally they all came away shaking their heads, Lulu wasn't injured as far as any of them could see.

It was Maxie who finally figured out this growing mystery. "Dammit, Johnny it's you." She slapped his arm getting a cry from Johnny as he finally realized that he'd been grazed and he'd soiled her clothes while he was trying to cover her.

"Hey!" Lulu slapped at Maxie for slapping at Johnny.

"Hey!" Maxie retaliated slapping at Lulu.

"We're still being tailed." Sam brought them back to the task at hand as she passed them by heading towards the back, low down the middle of the bus. She slid in to take Johnny's place just in time to take cover next to Justin, across the aisle from Jason and Max.

"What are you doing back here?" Jason called over the barrage of fire from the two cars still tailing them.

"Johnny's out due to impending parenthood." Sam called back as she pulled the piece she'd kept from Stansfield from her waistband and readied to return fire when it was clear again. "I figure you can use the extra gun."

Jason looked somewhat crossed between infuriated and scared to death at the thought, but trying to keep it all tied down so that no one knew it. Sam could read it easily though and she narrowed her eyes as his doubt in her. Sure he didn't know all that much about her upbringing but she had a few instances that she was less than proud of that had prepared her for this moment. She was a good shot and she knew it.

Jason wasn't worried about how well she could handle herself with the gun, more how close she'd just gotten to the gun fire. He'd been vowing to get her home so she could get better and getting shot in the mean time was the exact opposite of his prayers for her. He wanted to keep her safe and well. Not condone jumping into the line of fire.

Neither of them got a chance to reply to the thoughts and fears whirling through their heads as the gun fire died down, signifying the time to act. All four of them came over the back of the seats at once and opened fired on the cars again. Sam aimed between the headlights of the first car, trying for the radiator as she fought the phantoms of the light invading her field of vision. Three shots later and the car was screeching to a stop, leaving only one left.

A cheer went up from the group as they all took cover again. "Nice shooting." Jason smirked across the aisle at her.

"You too." She smirked back. Niceties were then drowned out by the excess of noise.

"You're pregnant?" Johnny asked in shock, eyes meeting Lulu's as Maxie as moved away to give Johnny access to his girlfriend.

"I was going to tell you tonight." Lulu nodded, both of them shouting to be heard.

"Well you managed it..." Johnny wasn't sure what to say. He was still riding the adrenaline high from the gun battle they were still in, praying that he could keep them both safe and now...

"I know it's a shock, Johnny. "Lulu frowned. "This isn't exactly how I envisioned the moment." Lulu pulled Johnny's jacket from his shoulder to get a better look at the graze. "You're gonna need stitches. You didn't even notice?"

"Well it's not like you're showing." Johnny retorted.

Lulu met his eyes with a blink in disgust. "That you were shot!"

"Oh..." Johnny looked to his arm near the elbow where the blood was still flowing and frowned. "Not really. I'm still stuck between flight and fight. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

Finally Jason was able to take out the last tail they had, leaving them all in the peace and quiet of their gun powder singed environment. "Is everyone alright?" Jason called as he finally rose up over the seat and looked down the passage of the bus to see many pairs of eyes peeking up at him from their hiding spots.

He caught Daniel's eye in the rear view and saw the nod, feeling relief that their driver was still good. He was glad that he'd called them both down here. He needed another count of wounds now that the fire fight was over. "I'm fine." Carly rose cautiously. "What the hell is this all about?"

"It's a long story and I don't have time right now. Everyone else? Whose hurt?"

"Johnny's been shot." Lulu piped in.

"Grazed." he clarified. "I'm fine."

"Like hell." Lulu started just as Carly looked to Jason in growing anger.

"Don't you tell me you don't have time to explain. I almost got shot! We all did!" She yelled at him.

"And so screaming about it is going to make it better?" Maxie matched her voice. "I still have two days left of shooting to get back to!"

"I'm fine." Spinelli's voice was barely heard over the fight now brewing.

"Carly. Maxie." Jason moved in their direction. "Give it a rest until we make sure everyone is alright." he yelled over them until they quieted. Jason looked back to those he wasn't sure about yet. "Lulu, you alright?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"Maxie?" Jason looked back to her expectantly not even the least bit daunted by the look she was giving him.

"I'm peachy!" She scoffed crossing her arms over her chest.

"Justin?"

"Good to go." Justin nodded as he changed out his magazine in his gun.

Jason didn't have to shout for Sam as he checked her out before he'd worried about anyone else. "Alright. Here's the plan then." Everyone quieted to listen. "This has to be Proto's works." he stared and Justin spoke up with a nod.

"Yeah, he and Anthony called the hit." Justin locked eyes with Johnny seeing a surprising lack of surprise.

"The hit on who?" Carly asked in horror.

"On Jason and Johnny." Daniel spoke up from where he was sitting behind the wheel.

"But you can bet they're looking at anyone we care about now." Jason sighed worriedly, wondering how much Stansfield might have said to anyone about he and Sam. "So no one's going home any time soon." Jason frowned at the thought. Sam needed to get home, but now she wasn't just in danger because of her illness. He cursed inwardly. She was also in danger because of him.

"So we're all stuck down here?" Carly asked in horror.

"Unless you want to be a target." Daniel replied evenly.

"I don't believe this!" Carly slammed her hand into the seat back of the seat she was holding herself up on.

"Well you better start." Jason retorted. "Why are you here, Carly? I told you I had this."

Carly motioned all around her in disbelief that he even said that he had this. "When do you imagine might be the soonest we could go home?" She knew that he knew what she was getting at in that Sam was on a deadline with her doctors, whether she had said something to him or not.

"As soon as we nullify the threat." Justin spoke up for him as though that should explain everything as he moved to sit behind Daniel.

Sam narrowed her eyes seeing how often Carly's glance was falling over her and she felt a sinking feeling inside her as she realized that Carly might have found out about the tests. She had taken off without warning and she knew that Carly wasn't one to simply let it go without trying to find out why. Sam was now struggling as she wondered if Carly had said something to Jason.

Oh God, was that why he was so protective all of a sudden?

Sam felt sick.

"I don't mean to bust anyone's bubble, but a bus with bullet holes is a little easy to identify." Daniel called wading into the middle of the fight that was picking up steam. "We're going to need to get off the road soon."

"Not for a few more miles. I want more distance between us and them." Jason was already reaching into the over head compartments looking for anything that they could use. He narrowed his eyes when he realized that they were absolutely lined with bags. "Was this a tour bus?" He called to Justin and Daniel.

"Yeah set for Ollantaytambo for a ruins tour. They were supposed to leave in the morning according to the tags up here." Daniel explained.

"Okay lets go through the bags and find what we can before we go off road." Jason told the group, knowing that Carly was stilled pissed at him for the moment.

He had his hands full though and he couldn't expect her to understand. They were in the middle of no where in Peru on the run from hit men that wanted him and Johnny dead. People good enough to track them down through those around them. No one was going anywhere until he got this sorted out.

"By off road you mean?" Maxie got to her feet worriedly as though this could all be sorted out in a single night and they could all be home by morning.

"We're going for a hike." Max spoke up as she and the others began to pull the bags down, one by one.

"A hike?" Maxie asked but she didn't get an answer. Oddly enough it seemed Spinelli was getting a handle on his people skills as he zipped open a bag and found a change of clothes that even Maxie could appreciate.

"You might want to change into something more accommodating." He offered as he tossed her a set of designer work out clothes in navy.

"Oh my god is that..." Maxie broke off as she saw the label and looked back to Spinelli in wonder that he knew she would appreciate finding such a treasure in her size out here. "Are there any sho..."

She didn't even get the word out though as Spinelli tossed her the matching shoes. He had her side tracked enough to give everyone else a rest as Jason made his way back to Sam.

"You up for this hike?" Jason sank down next to Sam who was going through another bag at a sit a little breathless.

"I can handle what everyone else can handle." She promised him, hoping that he wasn't asking because Carly had indeed cued him in to her situation.

"Sam, I know you're sick." He confessed and he felt his heart twinge when she looked up at him in more panic than he'd seen when she was staring down the bullets earlier. He watched in heart ache as she looked away fighting tears.

"I hoped that wasn't why you seemed to care so much." Sam got out after a long moment of silence later.

"Seemed?" all the other conversations and questions all around them had taken a back seat now as they began to touch on the insecurities and questions they had both been harboring without a chance to really talk since they had met up the night before. "Sam, I do care, I have. I was just so scared that I was going to put you in danger."

Sam gaze a scoff as she wiped at a tear that slid trying to escape her best efforts at stemming crying. "And yet here we are..."

"I never wanted this to..."

"No..." She cut him off, looking back, not even trying to hide the tears anymore. "I didn't want anyone to suffer because they were trying to help me fight a battle they couldn't fight. And here we both are...Carly came down because she found I was sick, didn't she?" Sam wrinkled her nose in disgust that she was the reason Carly was stuck in the middle of all this. "She told you ?"

Another tough moment of silence followed after Jason nodded. "I never thought this trip was going to be so demanding. I'm sorry it was the one you picked to borrow."

"That's a nice way of putting it." Sam laughed out a mixture of the adrenaline and exhaustion getting to her.

"Sam," Jason started again but she cut him off.

"Don't. There are nine people here...and we all have to make it out of this." She met his eyes once more. "I won't slow anyone up." She promised him.

"That's not what I meant..." She was already getting up though, moving over him to get around him, letting him know that she was done with the one on one at the moment.

"We should get ready to move, right?" She said, trying to change the subject. Jason wasn't about to have it though as he came out of the seat after her and caught her by the arm, catching her enough off guard that she turned back to meet his eyes in shock.

"I didn't come down here because you were sick, Sam." He told her point blank. "I came down here because I love you and I've been fighting it for too long and I knew that you were walking into a mess. I came down here because you were walking into my mess and you were too worried about everyone but yourself to tell anyone you had one hell of your own mess to deal with." She jerked her arm in his hand but he held tightly even seeing the defensive anger that was burning behind her eyes. "I love you." he reiterated the point. "That's why I came."

Sam was tearing up worse than before, pulling against his hold harder as if she couldn't handle his words yet. "You came because you had to and because you felt sorry for me." Sam cried back. "I don't need your pity!"

Their conversation was gaining momentum, quieting the rest of the group as everyone looked to them, some in confusion, some in awe and wonder. "That's not why I came." Jason shook his head, tears fighting behind his eyes as well as he felt her fight waning physically in her attempt to pull away as if daring him to keep pace with her, to not let her go and he didn't. "I don't pity you, Sam."

"Why are you here?" Sam choked the words out in a sob as she was losing the fight of pulling away and Jason pulled her to him wrapping his arms around her while she cried against his chest.

"Because I love you." He said again. And he would say it as much as she needed to hear it until she believed him, because it was the truth.

"**How long will this take...How much can I go through...my heart, my soul aches...I don't know what to do...I bend but don't break...and somehow I'll get through...Cause I have you..." **

Carly gasped in a breath, watching them in tears herself as she covered her mouth to catch the gasp of emotion that threaten to slip in and draw attention away from them. She watched in a mingle of horror and wonder that Sam was fighting so hard, so hard to believe that Jason came here because he really truly deeply loved her and it was the realization that he was being honest that she thought was hitting the hardest.

"**And if I have to crawl... well you crawl too...I stumble and I fall...carry me through...The wonder of it all... is you...see me through..." **

"Sam's sick..." Maxie got it out in a whisper as she sank next to Spinelli looking over her seat back to Lulu and Johnny in the floor of the bus before she found her eyes drawn back to Jason and Sam in the middle of the bus in free fall. "Oh God..." She covered her mouth in shock as everyone seemed to be coming to the same conclusion all at once.

Maxie felt Spinelli's hand wind around hers and she tightened hers around his without a second thought, needing someone to lean on as she watched the train wreck unfolding her heart breaking and heaving for Sam and Jason...

"**Oh Lord, where are you...Do not forget me here...I cry in silence...Cam you not see my tears...when all have left me...and all hope disappeared...you find me here..." **

Johnny and Lulu had so much to talk about but they were both struck speechless watching Jason and Sam as the wave of emotions seemed to simply come off them like a Tsunami after an epic quake. He wrapped his arm around her as he heard her snub in a breath and she took solace in the embrace. Neither of them realizing the moment that their free hand coalesced in silent protectiveness over her belly...over their baby...

"**And when I have to crawl...well you crawl too...I stumble and I fall...carry me through...the wonder of it all...is you...see me through..." **

Max dropped the bag he was looking through onto a seat as he watched the both of them in sinking realization as to why they fought so hard to deny their feelings as if it was some great secret being revealed he finally understood they had been trying to protect each other. They loved each other so much that they feared to be together should they hurt the other so...God...

"**When everything I was is lost I have forgot but you have not...when I am lost you have not lost me...When everything I was is lost I have forgot but you have not...when I am lost you have not lost me...you have not lost me..."**

Daniel and Justin watched in wonder as everyone was drawn to the drama unfolding the both of them in wonder as to what miracle had occurred to turn Jason's heart to love. They knew his loyalty and dedication but this was something else. Passion on crack. A man in love. Head over heels and she was fighting...hell she was fighting but what? She was matching him for every breath and he was fighting as much as she fighting to pull away until she gave in and they watched as he pulled her to him in tears, the whole bus of hardened and unhardened a like moved by them...

"**And if I have to crawl... well you crawl too...I stumble and I fall...carry me through...The wonder of it all... is you...see me through..."**

"I love you too." It was a whisper against his chest, a reverberation against his soul, something he barely heard over their tender hold on each other as she melted into his arms. "I've loved you so long."

"**See me through..."**

**Last Song "Crawl" by Superchick**


	8. Falling Slowly

**Daydreams**

**Okay so I'm going to try something a little different in this chapter...My daughter suggested it to me and so did Imgoodbackup. I'm going to link the song link from youtube before the song in the chapter begins in case anyone wants to listen. **

**If you're reading from Fanfic and want to listen then check out my profile page and then look up my playlists from my channel on youtube. I have a writing playlist that has just about every song I use in my stories there.**

**Hope everyone has had a good week. Thank you for reading and/or reviewing. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and doesn't think it's too boring after all the others. **

**Falling Slowly**

"I got like twelve boxes of water purification tablets and liter bottlers with smaller bottles for carrying. They weren't taking their own water in." Justin dropped the pack of water supplies on the ground where Jason was on his knees map spread out before him, Spinelli, and Max.

"That's great." Daniel huffed out in sarcasm.

Johnny looked over the front of the bus where he was changing clothes to something more conducive to hiking. "How close is the nearest water supply?"

"Five miles, give or take." Jason popped off quickly as they all looked to the halo of golden rays cresting over the horizon. "We can make it." He knew they had to but he wanted to lend a little optimism and hope in the mix before he relied on cold hard fact.

"We've got enough food, clothes, gear, and we will have enough water." They had everything they needed to go on a crazy long hike, provided they had enough people to carry the equipment and well they did. The problem wasn't the number of people, but their physical stamina to take on the hike. Jason was most worried about Sam and Lulu.

Everyone else could suck it up as far as he was concerned. So the guys had basically cut the packs down to ten packs, one of them for each person. They had meal bars, and snacks taken from various hikers packs, clothes that was closest to fitting the person the pack was meant for and the water tablets and bottles. They also retained the ponchos and hats and blankets as the weather was apt to turn cold in the night.

The girls had a few other ideas...

"Nothing fits me!" Sam cried in exasperation as she tossed another bag in a seat. She'd been able to get her stuff from the train before it departed when Stansfield had first captured her, but other than her passport everything had been left in the limo with their captives. So now she was scouring to find clothes and shoes just like everyone else. "The closest thing I found is this..." She held up a pair of boots that were at least a size too big for her, but there wasn't all that much else to pick from.

"Try these." Lulu got out in a coughing fit as she tossed Sam a pair of thick socks. She waved her hand through the fog of chemicals that Carly had just sprayed in an attempt to quell the rising insect population darting around them.

"That can't be good for the baby..." Maxie glared at Carly.

"Neither is Malaria." Carly shot back meeting her glare with one of her own.

"Malaria isn't as common in the highlands where we are." Sam said as she looked to Lulu in appreciation. "Thanks."

"I'm still holding onto this." Carly shrugged as she tucked the insect spray in her pack.

"Isn't someone going to bring up the elephant in the... bus?" Maxie was already changed, packed and not so ready to hike.

"Which one?" Lulu chuckled. "The fact that I'm pregnant or that we're about to wander into the Peruvian wilderness with a bunch of hit men and a computer geek."

"Sam's sick...sick with what?," Maxie blurted out. "We all heard it..." She spoke up when everyone cast their glance in her direction in not so shock.

"That's Sam's business." Carly was fastening her new pack closed, now clad in a crisp clean pair of a strangers jeans and and white tank, covered with a green short sleeved button up over shirt and some nice broken in hiking boots.

"You're only saying that because you already know." Maxie retorted in a huff. "Sam, why didn't you tell me? Lulu? We've been friends since you moved to Port Charles!" Her pain was bleeding through in her voice now. The little shocks of feelings of betrayal.

"We were all getting along so well." Sam looked up from where she had finished tying her hiking boots. "Maxie you and Lulu were just getting started at Crimson. You had so much on you to begin with. The last thing I wanted to do was add to it by coming home sick. You guys are too sweet to think about letting someone go through all that I have by their self. I didn't want to put you in that position. I'm sorry that I lied, but I didn't want to worry everyone and put you all through the months of treatment that followed."

"Wait..." Maxie blinked as realization sank in. "You're not just sick, you were sick...when you were with Jenny in Peru?"

"We were never in Peru." Sam knew this day was coming somewhere in the back of her mind. "Jenny and I met in the hospital. We were both diagnosed with Leukemia. I went into remission and she died. She never got to take this trip. We just talked about it – a lot."

"So you weren't recovering from Jenny's accident and food poisoning, three years ago?" Lulu sank into the seat across from Sam blinking at her tearfully. Sam shook her head meeting her eyes.

"But you went into remission." Maxie spoke up in confusion.

"And now I'm not in remission." Sam looked over the seat in front of her to where Maxie stood in the aisle.

"Sam's doctors want her back in Port Charles as soon as possible to start treatment." Carly spoke up as she sat down next to Sam in the seat behind her.

"I wanted to take the trip that Jenny never got to before I started, in case..." Sam trailed off blinking back the tears as she looked to her feet in the floor of the bus.

"Don't you say it!" Maxie gasped out as she took the seat in front of Sam and hugged her up, Sam gasping as she quickly hugged her back. "You may not have Jenny now, but we're all here and you are not going to give up now...Come on...how many people get to escape a gun fight on a bus in the middle of Peru. You're luck has changed and we're going to get you home and prove it." She promised her, fighting her own tears and nagging cynicism.

"We can't be that far from Machu Picchu, can we?" Lulu asked in wonder. "I mean there were tours leaving every morning from Cuzco." She remembered the stories that Sam told of her and Jenny and knew what this trip had to be for her and she wanted to make sure that she got to finish it before they went home. Home much further out of the main stream could a hike to Machu Picchu be? She was trying to keep them from getting sucked to deeply into this heart wrenching conversation and also offering hope that Sam could still complete her goal.

Sam took the bait with a snub as she slowly pulled away from Maxie and she shook her head. "We're not horribly far, but on foot it's quite a way." Sam explained. "We're probably 30 – 40 miles out from the city of Ollantaytambo. You can hike in from there or you can catch a bus."

Lulu could see that Maxie was going to let it drop which was blessing in disguise as the door to the bus suddenly was forced open...

"Is everyone decent?" Spinelli asked nervously.

"Yeah, Spinelli." Carly called back.

"Everyone is ready to go if you guys are. We've mapped a course into a place called Ollantaytambo where we can blend in with the tourists." Spinelli explained.

An exchange of looks passed between them as they all resigned themselves to get back to the deeper discussions later. The fact that Spinelli mentioned the very place that Sam had a moment ago in connection to her goal seemed to speak to fate. "We're ready." Carly called before anyone else could answer.

No one was making promises but Carly paused in front of Sam where she sat and silently offered her a hand up, meeting her eyes as she silently promised herself that she was going to make sure Sam got to see Machu Picchu before they went home. Hell they were this close. It would be a sad misfortune to head back without seeing it.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"The bus was found 30 miles outside of Cuzco." Proto looked to the map where his man was pointing to indicate the exact area as Anthony looked from across the table, now snugly situated at Proto's safe house. "They burned it out. It's impossible to tell what they actually took, but they moved out on foot."

"Where would they go?" Proto asked it as a half rhetorical question as he thought it knew where Jason might head, but he wanted to know what Anthony thought as well as he knew his boy better.

"They'll be avoiding main roads and cities." Anthony started as a fact that they all knew but the question was, just how much Jason, Johnny and the others knew about the area. "If they had enough information then they would have headed for the untamed, trying to hoof it to a nearby tourist goal..." Anthony started. "Their hiding in the jungle."

"Do you think they would try to hike 30 miles or more?" Proto knew that Jason would on his own, but with so many people?

"I think they would push everyone to try." Anthony nodded. "We need a good tracker..."

"Just so happens I know one." Proto said as he gained a wicked smile.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Jason hated the very idea of hiking into the unknown when he knew that Proto was just a hop, skip, and a jump back the way they came. Proto was dangerous enough without Anthony added into the mix, though and they had a lot of civilians. They had no choice but to go forward, to try and blend into the local Peruvians as tourists on their way to see ruins.

They found their water about five miles out like he said and they all filled up and purified. He pushed them mercilessly nearly 14 miles trying to follow the small stream that they'd come upon to fill their bottles. With little or no sleep they were all fading especially Sam and Lulu.

The next morning was no different.

They had to move. Snack bars and trail mix and energy bars were their breakfast and lunch and another 10 miles behind them they were getting more and more than they bargained for. Maxie and Lulu came down for a fashion shoot and were now becoming one with the nature they never really wanted to get to know, especially when Lulu was feeling sick and trying to hide it and Maxie was constantly complaining.

Carly thought she was coming down to a major city or something quite like it to invoke some sort of fate for Sam and Jason she thought she could arrange on her way back to dragging Sam back for treatment in Port Charles and she was now cursing the fact that she was running low on the half roll of toilet tissue she had scrounged from some stranger's hiking pack.

Everyone else could roll with the punches a little more but this was still out of their normal call to action. It was the third morning with only 12 miles to go to Ollantaytambo that the group as a whole was beginning to get flustered...

"Carly can I have a spray?" Maxie came nearly dripping wet from her make shift bath in the nearby stream as she wanted to know if she could utilize Carly's insect spray in an attempt to ward off any more bites than she had already suffered.

"I'm out." Carly huffed over her shoulder where she was packing up her pack clearly not thrilled.

"How can you be out?" Maxie asked in outrage. "You just got it two days ago!"

"And I've been coating at least four people with it constantly ever since!" Carly bantered back as though they were both using each other to blow off the steam they needed to.

Johnny walked by them, ignoring the fight brewing as he noticed that Lulu was picking herself up from the ground wiping her mouth. "You alright?" He asked worriedly as he helped her the rest of the way up and grabbed her water bottle from the near her feet.

"Fine...that Trailnut bar didn't agree with me." She scoffed, hoping to hide her discomfort as she was trying to get back to better, thinking that after emptying her stomach she had to be getting as close to normal as she could for the moment. "Do we have any more sunscreen?"

"Yeah, I'll see what I can find." Johnny nodded, knowing they were all slightly blistering, with the in and outs of tree cover they were passing through 3 days on.

"Dammit to hell!" Jason laughed as he watched Spinelli with his laptop, unable to find a connection to anything. He kept swearing the closer they got to Ollantaytambo that he would might be able to find something but so far nothing...and he was going into internet withdrawal.

Jason passed Max, Justin, and Daniel who were all talking around the small fire they had started this morning as they all were trying to get going. They'd made a few cups of instant coffee so far and manage to cook a wild bird egg or two but other than that everyone else was still living off of the energy shots and food in their packs. They hadn't broken to the point of hunting game yet and hoped to not resort to it as movement was their primary objective.

Jason shuffled past them still looking to check up on Sam...

**-Song "Falling Slowly" by The Frames**

"**I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that...words fall through me and always fool me and I can't react...games that never amount to more then they're meant...will play themselves out..." **

Sam sat by the side of the stream away from the rest of the group, her borrowed pants legs rolled up as she looked into the water, watching the small circles of water that were stirred up as she moved her legs. A frog had been popping up here and there, unafraid and she found herself drawn to looking for him when a small giggle drew her to the opposing shore a foot away and she saw a little girl, no more than 5 or 6, looking at her from the bank.

Sam couldn't help but smile at the girl's smile to her and she held still so that she didn't feel threatened. They had to be close to some of the outlying villages around Ollantaytambo. She imagined that the little girl was from one of them, especially when she saw what she supposed was her about 8 yr old brother coming after her.

"It's okay ." Sam whispered at the both of them as she reached behind her to her pack and she got a few candy bars from those that she'd stolen from bus packs and tossed them over. A few minutes later chocolate covered smiles were beckoning her across with them. Sam smirked grabbed the rest of the pack should she see any more kids as she got to her feet and crossed the stream, taking right and left hand with each of then children as they led her towards home...

"**Take this sinking boat and point it home...we've still got time...raise your hopeful voice..you have a choice...You've made it now..."**

Jason watched Sam with the children from nearby, he'd been about to announce himself to her when they'd come and now he was just watching in awe as communication differences didn't even seem to factor in with her and them...

He followed from afar as they walked into a small village the children all running to gather around Sam from something the two with her had called out. She quickly pulled her pack from her back and shared the rest of candy with them, the adults from the village seeing her kindly as Jason saw their tender smiles.

"**Falling slowly, eyes that know me...and I can't go back..."**

Sam was laughing for the first time since she'd found out...really laughing. She couldn't help it. They kids were so happy and they and their friends were acting as though she was now their best friend as their parents chuckled a ways away from door fronts.

Her soul was lifted, until a man who looked less than happy to see her began to cross the village to get to her, his face anything but cheered on. She didn't understand a word he was saying as he ripped her grasp from one of the children and began to drag her away.

Sam felt fear entangle her heart until he brought her into a nearby home and she saw his worry. She lightly pulled her cap from her head and made her way into a small adjoining room, sinking to her knees next to a woman laying on her back, in the throws of sickness.

"**Moods that take me and erase me...and I'm painted black...You have suffered enough...and warred with yourself...It's time that you won..."**

Sam looked to the woman with sympathy, knowing what it meant to feel helpless. She didn't know what was wrong with her or what the man expected her to do as this village obviously didn't see too many of the likes of her. But she could see that she had a fever and if she was just guessing it was from what looked like a nasty bite to the woman's hand.

Sam quickly rummaged through her pack and found the Aspirin and triple antibiotic ointment she'd saved. She could see where they were trying to use local remedies for the woman's hand, but obviously it wasn't enough. "You should give her one of these." Sam held up the bottle of aspirin.

"Every 4 to 6 hours." She was saying but no one was following. Still she was trying...  
>" And put this on her hand every two hours..."<p>

"**Take this sinking boat and point it home...we've still got time...raise your hopeful voice..you have a choice...You've made it now..."**

Jason was coming out armed until he heard what Sam as saying inside the house and he softened instantly coming inside behind the man that had drug her there. He met her eyes and saw the desperation to save someone and he couldn't help but help her...

Jason translated what Sam was explaining to the man and he quickly took Jason's hand in a move of strength and thank you. He was then quick to relay the message as Jason looked to Sam in awe.

"**Take this sinking boat and point it home...we've still got time...raise your hopeful voice..you have a choice...You've made it now..."**

"They're offering to put us all up for the night and then let their men show us to the Inca Trail for Machu Picchu." Jason told Sam quietly as they walked back toward camp.

"Well you were amazing." Sam said as she looked to him with a soft smile.

"I just translated, Sam. They offered because of you. And we're going to take them up on it." Jason offered back still smiling...

"**Falling slowly...sing your melody...I'll sing along...**


	9. Believe

**Daydreams**

**Warnings for this chapter: Implied character death. Hope no one kills me...**

**Believe**

It was amazing what small comforts passed as civilized after one had been stripped of most for days on end. The beds weren't exactly what most of the group would have considered standard, but they were softer than their blankets and the leaf padded ground. And the walls may have only been made of loosely fitting wood but it did wonders of keeping the cold out in the dead of night. The woven roofs weren't as sturdy as home but they sure as hell kept them dry as rain began to fall by mid evening.

"Ah...ah..." Carly hissed in a breath as she watched Maxie gingerly pulling her shoes free from her feet, the socks slipped just past the heel enough to see the large blisters that resided there. "Why didn't you say anything." Carly finally had sympathy for the woman, but not much.

"What good would it have done." Maxie scoffed. "It's not like blister break was an option in our rugged hike. I think hiking for life is sort of heartless for this sort of thing."

Carly sighed looking up as Sam sank onto the bedside beside her. They were sharing. The village people seemed more comfortable separating them in groups of men and women. "Well you're not alone." Sam cringed as she pulled her own shoes and socks off and flexed her sore, bruised and blistered feet.

"Obviously we should have had proper shoes fitted perfectly for this sort of thing." Lulu was already laying back, her own feet already airing out.

"Mine didn't fit that great..." Carly looked to her much less abused looking feet and blinked.

"You're just more weathered from the kids." Lulu smirked her way and Carly half smirked back and half glared.

"Did I hear right? They have a working shower?" Maxie changed the subject as she started to shimmy into her undies.

"If you heard that it only showered one with cold water – you sure did." Lulu chuckled.

"Ugh!" Maxie groaned.

"At least it's not a sponge bath in the stream." Sam curled up on her side next to Carly and angled up on her elbow to see Maxie's face as she offered her optimism.

"You know what passes as civilization down here, leaves a lot to be desired." Maxie complained as she sank back against the make shift pillows of her and Lulu's bed. "But I'll take it over the jungle any day of the week."

"So this trail they're going to take us to, where does it go?" Carly asked as Sam shook herself to keep from slipping right to sleep.

"The Inca Trail?" Sam asked quickly.

"Right." Carly nodded.

"Well we can use it to get to Ollantaytambo so that we can hitch a bus to the ruins. Because I doubt anyone wants to hike the rest of the way to Machu Picchu..."

"Hell, no."

"You got that right."

"Bus!"

Sam chuckled not really sure who had called out what. "If we can work the rest out there is a train that runs to a nearby city and flights out once we get back."

"There is a God!" Maxie called out getting another chuckled from the whole room.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Ben Caldera lead the group through the winding jungle trying desperately to find any signs of the path that the group from the bus had taken. It should have been easy with a 10 person strong group, some obvious civilians, but they were running into set backs. Rain and a string of bad luck with their own equipment had them trailing at least two days behind those that they hunted.

"Henly!" He called out as he headed to the lead tent they were setting up. He needed to go over the terrain again with his second, to somehow try and shave some time off their trip in an effort to catch their prey. Answering to Proto was like paying tribute to the devil and he wasn't about to temp fate.

Fifteeen minutes later he and Henly had managed to map a route that could possibly have them catching up in 16 hours if their assumption that they were headed to the ruins of Machu Picchu were correct. All Caldera could think was that the move was to throw them off. It wasn't exactly a swift way to leave the country, by way of Machu Picchu. No matter, they would catch them soon enough.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

There were actually quite a few of the showers set up around the village, but they all lacked the hot water that the travel weary group was accustom to back home. Jason hitched in a breath as the water hit him and he scrambled to make this shower the fastest that he had ever taken in his entire life. He was sure he set some sort of personal record by the time he threw the door open to reveal his neatly folded clothes missing from where he'd set them.

Jason frowned glancing around in worry as he shook the water from his hair and body. He finally spotted his shirt tossed unceremoniously a few feet away leading to his boxers that were barely peeking at him from where they lay in between two currently unused store houses. Were the kids making a game of running off with his clothes? He wondered to himself, not the least bit thrilled with walking out naked in front of a village that seemed to have gained some respect for him.

Luckily it was pretty early and it didn't seem like the whole village was coming to life just yet. Jason sucked it up and covered himself as best as he could as he quickly went after his Shirt and then boxers, slipping them on as he went, getting a slight sense of satisfaction that he hadn't flashed anyone just yet. He caught sight of his jeans hanging out an open window of one of the storehouses and frowned still not liking this as he moved to regain his clothing. He felt like he was being set up for something.

He made it to the window, regretting his decision to leave his guns with Max back at their communal hut, until...

Jason's fingers had just slipped over the edge of the fabric as he looked around worriedly. He felt a soft, small hand wrap around his as she moved from the left, inside the store house, moving onto her tip toes as she quickly ran her hand up to his shoulder, his neck, her lips meeting his in a whirlwind of passion. Jason almost fought until he recognized the touch that he couldn't possibly forget and he deepened the kiss, giving into her in wild abandon, his hands roaming over her freshly showered form as she was his while they vied for control as their lips and tongues danced, bodies fighting to be closer...

"Come inside." Sam whispered against his lips, breath caught between them, unable to let him go. Jason didn't need another invitation or the freaking door. He kept hold of Sam working to get through the window the both of them still embroiled in the other as he finally crashed to the side, falling as he turned to pull her atop him, to both cushion the blow and allow her her way...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Maxie couldn't believe how well Johnny seemed to be handling the news that he was going to be a father. Maybe the manner in which he found out had softened his heart to such a find, but she was still skeptical. Lulu looked so happy though. She didn't want to hurt her friend, especially now that the watched the both of them enthusing over the prospects of parenthood so soon after Johnny finding out that he was going to be a father.

Maxie just assumed that there would be more words, loud words, words that could be over heard. Johnny didn't seem like the kind to settle down and, well, while Lulu had never lied to him there was a always a a first time for everything, all sorts of ways for a fight to break out among them.

Than there was Sam and Jason...no fighting there either and she was glad about that, but why? Sam had lied to Jason for years as she had her best friends. Sure it was all for noble reasons and they all seemed to understand but didn't that burn some trust? Maxie sighed as Carly sank down next to her.

"Tell me Spinelli got that satphone working." Maxie nearly pleaded with her wanting to know the minute that they were going to get out of here and back to the real world.

"He did. Sonny's setting up a pick up for us on the mountain." Carly nodded. "Are you okay, Maxie?"

"I'll be fine as soon as we get out of this backward hell hole." She nodded.

"I know what you mean." And while Carly didn't exactly, she did know about wishing she was home, home with her children and not stuck thousands of miles away instead. She cared about everyone here but she cared about her children more, not that she was trying to make that distinction.

"So by mountain you mean, days from now after we reach Ollantaytambo and then Machu Picchu..." Maxie huffed it out in exasperation looking ready to cry as Carly slowly nodded.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Lulu smiled up at Johnny, his arms holding her steady against him as they lay near the stream a ways out from the village. "I never thought you would be so exited." Lulu whispered in truth. She was still surprised that _she_ was as excited as she was. "At least not as first..." She confessed her lips still caught in mid smile when his met hers happily.

"I wasn't expecting it either." He confided. "But then I was thinking of something else more permanent." Johnny was leveraged above her careful to not crush her small form as he lay atop her on the stream bank, peering down lovingly into her eyes.

Lulu watched in wonder as Johnny fished about against his pants legs and finally brought his hand up between them. "I meant to ask you this before I knew anything about this miracle." He smiled as he positioned the engagement ring between both their lines of sight right there.

Lulu gasped in a breath as she immediately teared up, meeting his eyes in wonder and love and she saw the emotion reflected back as speech from his heart. He didn't have to voice the words they were already in the air between them both.

"Yes..." Lulu didn't have to think, she already knew, in a single heartbeat as soon as she read the question in his eyes.

"Yes?" Johnny asked in glee as he gasped in the word, overjoyed.

"Yes." Lulu reiterated with a growing smile and a laugh as his joy was also growing exponentially. Johnny bridged the space between them and kissed Lulu senseless as the others all around the camp were working to get their gear together for another days travel...even Jason and Sam in the glowing aftermath of love making...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

**-Song "Believe" By the Bravery...**

"**Faces all around me they don't smile... they just crack...waiting for our ship to come but our ship's not coming back...We do our time like pennies in a jar, but what are we saving for...what are we saving for..." **

They set out two days after being taken in to the village after some much needed rest and relaxation and some personal time all around. A scout from the village led them to the Inca trail that would soon lead them to the main city of Ollantaytambo where they could find easier travel to the ruins they sought. The trail was only a few Kilometers away from the city and they were glad to be on the way home even if they had already agreed to make sure that Sam saw the ruins before they left.

Sam and Jason walked hand in hand, talking amongst themselves as did Johnny and Lulu and the others split up where they were.

"**There's a smell of stale fear and it's reeking from our skin...the drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins...we sit and throw our roots into the floor...bur what are waiting for...What are we waiting for..." **

There was never a moment when anyone suspected that Proto's men had caught up to them...

Until It happened.

They were on the bus from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu when the gun fire erupted from everywhere...

Jason jumped from his seat as the bus pitched and rolled from a steep embankment into the mud below and he quickly covered Sam as best as he could on the way down before they ended upright and settled along another road far below.

"Oh My God! Johnny!" Lulu screamed out as they landed...

"**Just give me something to believe...Because I am living just to breath...and I need something more...to keep on breathing for...so give me something to believe..." **

Not everyone made it through the fire storm of bullets unscathed as they quickly descended on Johnny only to find that he had been shot twice through the right of his chest and was having trouble breathing as they found the bus righted.

"Johnny!" Lulu screamed as she faltered and then realized that she was alright only to understand that he wasn't. While all around them everyone else was calling out how well they were doing.

"You're going to be fine...you're going to be okay." Lulu got out at a fast prattle of assurance. "I'm right here."

"**Somethings always coming you can hear it in the ground...it swells into the air with the rising rising sound...and never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors, but what are we waiting for...what are we waiting for..." **

Sam jumped as she heard Johnny scream out and realized just how bad things had gotten. He'd been shot and they were talking about how to slow up the enemy. It was Johnny that got down to it, while the women protested back...

...NO one agreed with him but he still went ahead, even with the uproar that occurred inside the bus because of it as Jason and the other guys respected his wishes and went ahead to get everyone else out...

"**So give me something to believe...'Cause I am living just to breath and I need something more to keep on breathing for...so give me something to believe..." **

Not only was Johnny lost in one breath of an instant but so was Sam's chance of seeing Machu Picchu even when she was right there a half a second away from it. She was too concerned for those with her making it home alive, which Sonny had already set in the works.

Sam hugged Lulu tightly as they started towards the airfield still trying to shake Proto's guys. She was still half there with her friends and half glaring back at Jason...But she suddenly realized how much he had been holding back. Sam rose in a heartbeat as she saw Jason sink, passing out, blood finally seeping through his shirt to reveal that he had been shot in the chest...

"**I am hiding from some beast, but the beast was always here...Watching without eyes...because the beast is just my fear...that I am just nothing...now that's just what I've become...What am I waiting for it's already done..."**

Hours later General Hospital was a roar with action as Jason burst through the doors of the ER on a gurney with Lulu on his heals ushered into another room and Sam ushered into another wing entirely...

Everyone else was fighting as they were looked over to find out just how bad things had gotten with everyone else...but there were now answers readily available.

"**So give me something to believe...'Cause I am living just to breath and I need something more to keep on breathing for...so give me something to believe..." **

Sam sank back against her pillows in the bed she rested in, crying as she worried how Jason was and how Lulu was being as they had left Johnny back in Peru without any hope of survival...


	10. Mercy

**Daydreams**

**On the coat tails of a very rushed last chapter. This one is a little different. **

**Human**

"**Human" by Civil Twilight**

Four Days after Peru...

"**There's one way out and one way in...back to the beginning...there's one way back to home again...to where I feel forgiven..."**

How could she have missed it? How could anyone have?

Dammit. Sam felt like a complete idiot.

No one could hide a gun shot wound that well. She should have noticed a wince... a...a... something... Everyone was so shell shocked and reeling from Johnny's death...Sam slammed her head back against her pillow uncomfortably, mad at herself.

She wasn't just mad at herself. She was mad at Jason. He should have said something, instead of patching himself up in the plane bathroom as best he could...

She was mad at Proto and the other assholes who started the whole war to begin with...She was mad at the world.

Sam needed a bone marrow transplant and they were already looking for a match. All of her friends save Lulu and Jason were getting tested and apparently there were many more that they had gotten involved.

"**What is this I feel?... Why is it so real?...What am I to say?...It's only love...it's only pain...It's only fear...that runs through my veins...it's all the things you can't explain...that makes us human..."**

"Jason, made it through surgery with flying colors." Spinelli came through the door at a semi hobble before he plopped down by her bedside.

"Good, he'll be good and strong when I finally get my hands on him." Sam said softly as relief flooded through her. She looked up at Spinelli, her exasperation fading as she saw how he guarded his hip. "You didn't have to get tested, Spinelli, but I appreciate it." She smiled sadly.

"Hey, after everything that's happened. It'll be a welcome change to find that I might be able to help someone." Spinelli confided, not sharing her smile. Sam lost hers, realizing that he was speaking of his helplessness with Lulu, Carly, and Maxie.

Spinelli hadn't known what to do for either as Maxie and Carly had been trying to be there for a grief stricken Lulu.

"How are they?" Sam asked softly, meeting his eyes.

"The same. Lulu and the baby are physically alright, but she's emotionally withdrawn and Maxie and Carly doing everything in their natural power to help her through this." Spinelli sighed heavily. "Oh, I almost forgot..." Spinelli rummaged around and came out with a palm sized bear from his pocket that held a tiny sunshine in it's hands bearing the words "Get Well Soon" in brilliant orange.

Sam regained a tiny smile as he tossed it to her. "Max gave that to me when he was changing out guards. He said he'd some see you in the morning."

"He's sweet." Sam chuckled softly. "Have you overheard any of them talking? Did Proto's guys follow us?" She worried.

"So far so good... is all I've managed to pick up on..."

"**I am just an image of...something so much greater...I am just the picture frame...I am not the painter...Where do I begin?... Can I shed this skin?..."**

Lulu ran her fingers absently over the ring on her finger, starring out into the starry night before she closed her eyes...trying to remember the feel of his skin against hers, the way he smelled. She never would have imagined that a moment so happy for the both of them could be stolen so quickly. A twist of fate, a twist of the knife...she prayed that she could replace the memory of him lying bleeding before her, posing using his last moments as a distraction, some sort of last stand...

Her hand settled over her belly, solid and not showing any signs of the baby hidden within. She snubbed in a breath remembering the feel of his hand over hers, watching Sam and Jason admit how much they loved each other...

Lulu finally sank onto the bed, curling up as she gave in to the sobs that took over, wailing her turmoil out lest it should consume her body and soul.

"Lulu?" Sam had come because she heard that Lulu wasn't eating. She froze in the door that Max was holding open for her as Maxie waited in flustered n patience behind her, Carly there as well all planning on making a united front to help their friend. There was no reply as Lulu's tears served as the reply in the dimly lit room and the three friends made their way inside...Maxie breaking the emotion choked silence that had blanketed the group...

"Enough, enough..." Maxie set a box down on the roll away table over Lulu's bed and pushed it away. "We're all going to have a group hug, because you obviously need one and then we're going to do something more constructive." Lulu didn't respond but Maxie soon climbed in bed with her, wrapping her arms around her as Sam smiled sadly and saw what Maxie was trying to do. She climbed on the other side and then Carly hugged them as best she could.

"Maxie!" Lulu started out, her voice clearly enraged but the more she tried to force words out the more she was melting into laughter that soon became infectious.

Sam kissed Lulu's cheek as they all started to calm down. "You know he wants you to think of the baby...of yourself...he wouldn't want to see you starving yourself, Lulu."

"And besides, I brought..." Carly held up a bag of take out. "Burgers from Kelley's." She smirked.

"And I've got the ice cream, but I put it in the nurses lounge for safe keeping." Maxie smiled. "We're going to eat and talk and when you can't stand any more...sleep..." Maxie promised her.

"I really appreciate you guys," Lulu swallowed the last of her tears, trying not to feel guilty for not thinking of Johnny for a just a little bit...

"**What is this I feel... within?...It's only love...It's only pain...it's only fear...that runs through my veins...It's all the things you can't explain...that makes us human...that makes us human...that makes us human..."**

Sam watched as Jason slowly blinked his eyes open, taking her in for the first time. She had absolutely refused to under go any treatment until he woke and so she spent most of time in the hospital between his and Lulu's room. His hand rested in hers when he finally woke. Jason turned his head taking her in in a breath of relief. "You're alright..."

"Depends on the definition." She chuckled softly, kissing his hand. "I'm alright." She said to put his mind at ease. "You gave me one hell of a scare." She whispered her rage subsiding over days.

"I didn't want to scare you on the plane..." Jason whispered, still weak from the sheer amount of blood and the distance and then surgery. It was amazing he was even awake.

"Well bang up job on that," She scoffed in mock offense with a half chuckle. "You passing out coming out of the bathroom, didn't really instill confidence. How do you feel?" She asked, still clinging to his hand.

"Rough...Did Sonny um...did he..."

"Sonny's got his guys on all of us. Everyone that was there. General Hospital is crawling with his men. We're all under 24 hour guard." Sam knew he didn't need to be worrying about everyone else when he needed to focus on getting better.

"Maxie and Carly are taking great care of Lulu. She'd eating again – She went home yesterday." Sam explained. "Spinelli and Carly are fine Max and Daniel and Justin have all stuck around to make sure that we're all alright.

"What about you?" Jason sighed and then met her eyes, not letting her out of it.

"I've got good news for me too." Sam smiled but it was watery. "I'm getting a bone marrow transplant." Sam knew he didn't know the ins and outs of it. It was simply a win for her, but it was a win that came with a long recovery and she didn't want to worry him. "Carly was a match."

"Oh God, Sam, That's amazing." Jason breathed. "That's great..."

"It really is," Sam smiled. "Everything is alright...you just rest now. I love you."

Sam leaned over and kissed his lips smiling as he whispered "I love you too..." just as she was pulling away.

"**It's only love...it's only pain...It's only fear that runs through my veins...**

A few days later, Sam sank into the seat where they were about to pump her full of toxins as a way to kill off her bad bone marrow. She looked up at the IV stand in disgust, remembering how bad it had been. She'd been told it would be worse this time, more rigorous. More throwing up and uncontrollable shaking, more night sweats and praying death would take her.

Boy was she looking forward to that. Sam leaned back tiredly. The pay off was worth it. She just had to keep reminding herself of that. Her Iv was already in place, taped off against her arm. "You don't have to be all quiet." She said as she peaked up at Max standing body guard quiet against the back wall of the room.

"Want me to wish you good luck?" Max asked at a chuckle though she could see he was a little nervous.

"Nah...just say a prayer for the best to whatever God you hold dear." Sam replied as she settled in.

"I already did."

"Another one wouldn't hurt." She smirked, half joking, half not. "Have you gotten any progress reports from the others?" She asked worriedly.

"I swear..." Max chuckled softly.

"What?" Sam had closed her eyes, but she peaked one open to get a look at him at the swear remark.

"You and Jason are perfect for each other." he confided. "You're both worried about everyone but yourselves."

"Is that so?" Sam smiled.

"Oh yeah." Max nodded. "Lulu and Maxie are fine as far as I know – Justin and Daniel have moved in and are making sure that no one comes anywhere near them...Spinelli is bunking with Carly for safe keeping and so long as they never see each other should be fine. Carly's putting in a lot of kid time." Max explained. "Jason's getting better every day."

"And he wasn't about to leave you to deal with this with just Max." Jason spoke up, Spinelli pushing him into the room via a wheel chair.

"Sorry, he was going to try and walk in here if I didn't agree to bring him." Spinelli confided.

"Jason, you shouldn't be in here worrying about me." Sam sat up as Spinelli wheeled him to her side and Jason quickly captured her hand. "You should be trying to get better..."

"I am..." Jason promised her. "And this will help." Sam smiled as she wound her hand around his as well and they leaned back tiredly, Max and Spinelli sharing a knowing glance.

"**Mercy" by One Republic**

"**Angel of mercy...how did you find me?...Where did you read my story...Pulled from the papers...Desperate and hardened...seeking a moment every fix...all I wanted to say...all I wanted to do...is to fall apart now...all I wanted to feel...I wanted to love...it's all my fault now..." **

Jason couldn't believe how much he thought he had a handle on all of this. It was a week before her transplant and he was still trying to track Proto and the others down, find the bastards. He needed to make this shit go away. There was too much at stake and she was too frail for any sort of attack .

He'd thought he's already seen the worst, but now Sam looked like she was on deaths door, only able to stay awake for small spurts and they were talking about surgery so soon...He was scared to death. Scared.

Jason walked through the hospital cell phone to ear as he moved. "I don't care. He is not invisible. You cannot tell me that you lost him this time. Dammit David are you playing me on this?" He asked him in disbelief. God there was a part of him that wanted to be out in the thick of it, but he knew where his heart was rooted. "Find him!" He screamed into the phone as Max placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"She's fine this morning, Jason, just calm down." Max offered. "Lulu and Maxie are coming in this morning later." He offered the schedule as best as he knew it. "Carly's doing some lab work for the surgery next week."

Jason was glad that Max had directed his focus back to what was important and he looked back in appreciation. "Thanks man."

"**A tragedy...I fear...Angel of mercy...How did you find me?...How did you pick me up again?...Angel of mercy...how did you move me?...Why am I on my feet again?...And I see you..."**

Sam really wasn't looking for visitors today. God. Just when she thought the hell had ended it dragged her back down for another round. She'd been hugging the crapper all morning. And now safely situated in bed she didn't want to even think about moving. She turned her head as the door pushed open to reveal Jason and Max and smiled softly, half forcing it.

"Hey, What are you guys doing here?" Sam got out in a half whisper short of breath by the end of the question.

"I just wanted to surprise you before the big day." Jason confided. He didn't want to overwhelm her too close to the surgery, knowing that she needed the time to rest before hand. And while he wasn't so sure about his current course...he knew that he's been floundering to do what he thought was right from the start and was still struggling at knowing what that was.

"I'm not sure that I'm up for any surprises." Sam was thankful for the sight but she didn't even want to move.

"**Whoa, whoa, whoa...I feel you...whoa, whoa, whoa..."**

"You are or you aren't...it's okay...either way..." Jason promised her as he sank into the seat by her bedside and he captured her hand in his.

"I just don't feel like moving." Sam whispered loving the feel of his lips against her fingers. It was a simple touch that didn't hurt and she could see the love in his eyes, feel it in his touch.

"You don't have to go anywhere." Jason smirked as though he knew what would be holding her back every step of the way. "Just watch..." Jason took the remote from her table and turned the inner hospital television channel on...

It looked like a commercial to begin with Spinelli. He was worried that his best friend was missing something...so he was rushing too and fro and it was like a mix between slap stick and and just plain comedy as she watched him running around all over town in this video...Switching from place to place as he prepared for some romantic occasion for someone...

"What is this?" She asked in wonder but no one answered as Jason smiled back at her from her bedside.

She looked back up seeing that Spinelli was headed into the hospital in the video. Sam looked over to Jason first and then to Max who was smiling from ear to ear.

On the television a whole crowd of townsfolk and patients and staff were following Spinelli in his attempt to bring what had been misplaced – others handing him additional things to carry like flowers and balloons...

"**Before just the daylight...come and I stand by...waiting to catch the quickest plane...Flying to nowhere...is better than somewhere...that's where I've been and nothings changed..."**

Sam looked to Jason in wonder, trying to make this all make sense as she spent her attention divided between the ruckus on the TV and Jason smiling so brightly beside her. Finally she saw Spinelli out her window, followed by the same crowed as on TV and she looked to Jason as her friend burst into the room with a ring box in hand. "Here it is..." he smiled out of breath as he tossed the box to Jason.

Jason caught it with his off hand as the TV somehow switched to the both of them and he hit the floor on his knee still holding her hand. "Samantha McCall...I love you more than I have every loved a single soul. I want to make you my wife... I want to spend the rest of our lives together...through anything and everything...just me and you..." He whispered out the emotions bleeding from his voice a testament that he meant everything that he said.

"You are my moon, my stars, my sun, my everything. You complete me." Jason told her with all honesty. "And between the here and there and everything that we've already faced. I promise to love you through all and so much more." He cupped her cheek with his other hand, seeing the tears well up in her eyes.

Sam forgot all about the TV Jason her only rock as he was proposing to her and she fought the crap that they had talked about for weeks about how she might not make it even with everything and she knew where he stood...she truly did and it wasn't about feeling sorry for her or wanting to make her last days great...he really was promising every word coming from his lips.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes..." Sam whispered in a breath just before he captured his lips with his own and a cheer erupted over the the TV and outside the hospital room door all at once, but Sam didn't hear it, not over her own heart and Jason's joyous hug that enraptured her.

"**All I wanted to say...all I wanted to do...is fall apart now...all I wanted to feel...I wanted to love...it's all my fault now...A tragedy for sure..."**

Sam lay in her room with Jason at her side, decked out in gear so that she could barely tell it was him so as to protect her from infection as Carly lay on the operating table getting her bone marrow sucked out. She wore the engagement ring on her finger as he stroked her hair behind her ear, her room full of love and life her friends surrounding her. "Soon, now..." He whispered, knowing that she would get her miracle in a few moments but it would take quite sometime for it to be known.

"**Angel of mercy...how did you find me?...How did you pick me up again?...Angel of mercy...how did you move me?...why am I on my feet again?...And I see you..." **

Two weeks later and things were looking like quite the success, but it would be months before they knew the truth. Jason sat at her side with cap and gown and face mask in place as he squeezed her hand helping her through another rough day as he fought in his free time to track down those that had nearly killed them all in Peru.

"**Whoa, whoa, whoa...I feel you...Whoa, whoa, whoa..." **

Even a few more weeks and Lulu was rubbing her hand over an expanding belly as she looked to any news about anything in South America her dreams unrelenting that Johnny was anything but gone. Lulu watched TV next to Maxie not listening to a word her friend as saying as she watched the documentary unfold, showing off so many of the familiar places that she knew. She was only four months from a baby and Johnny's ghost hadn't let her go...

"**I'm so lost in you...a tragedy seemed to be over now...A tragedy it seemed to be...Angel of mercy...how did you find me?...how did you pick me up again?...Angel of mercy...how did you move me?...why am I on my feet again?...and I see you..." **

Somewhere in Peru...

Johnny, months in a coma, was coming out of it slowly. He was in the middle of the village that remembered him and took him in. Sam's village, the one that loved her and took them all in once...and now he had been kept by them for so long. Treated as best they could, with the medicines that the group had left for the villagers.

Finally he came to – completely...

"**Whoa, whoa, whoa...I feel you...Whoa, whoa, whoa...I feel you...Whoa, whoa,whoa...I feel you..." **

Lulu gasped in a breath at the baby's kick that suddenly woke her just as she was dreaming Johnny woke and she bolted upright in her bed panting in horror and wonder and hope...


	11. Living in Chaos

**Daydreams**

**Living in Chaos**

"How's Lulu doing?" Carly passed the special soap used to keep any sort of microbial threat to Sam out of her room as they scrubbed up in the hallway, readying to visit their friend.

"I think she'll be a little better once we have Sam to fuss over at the apartment." Maxie sighed. Sam was moving back in with her old roommates in a few days if all went well. Before all this had happened she'd been living above Daydreams Travel Agency in Jenny's old place...the apartment came with the business.

She and Lulu had missed her and she was as happy as Lulu was that she would soon be moving back in . They knew it was temporary as Jason had proposed but then again, it's not like he and Sam had set a date. Sam could have gone home, but she was weak and needed help and wasn't able to do much at all for another few months. Jason had asked her to move in with him but she declined. She said they were still trying to open to each other and even though they pledged a commitment she wanted to take the time before they settled in together.

"Good, they can help each other." Carly smiled softly. She knew it was hard but they all needed each other right now.

Carly and Maxie made their way past the body guards stationed at Sam's door and both smiled excitedly to see Sam sitting in the lounger instead of laying in bed. It was a move that showed she was getting her strength back, little by little.

"Hey guys?" Sam was obviously glad to have visitors. She'd been going crazy wanting out of here. Nearly eight weeks post transplant and she had scarcely seen a view that didn't encompass either the skyline out her window or the isolated hallway outside her door. "Tell me you have my walking papers."

"I heard maybe Friday." Carly didn't want to dampen her mood further but they all knew the score. Sam had to be well enough to weather the risks that the world outside held for her, the simple everyday ones. Jason was working on the not so typical risks, more accurately threats.

Sam groaned with a half throw of her hands, a weak gesture, but pointed nonetheless. "Okay – then give me any other news you've got. How's Daydreams?" Carly had made it a point to keep the agency afloat for Sam with Kristina's help.

"It's fairing well. It would be much better with you at the helm, but we're holding it together." Carly put her mind at ease as she sank into the other lounger, leaving Maxie to sink onto the bed.

"And Lulu's fine too, six months checkup went by with flying colors. Baby Spencer is looking beautiful." Maxie flashed another smile as she rolled onto her stomach and held out the sonogram copy she had for Sam to see it.

"Oh wow. I can actually tell what's what this time." Sam cooed over the picture excitedly.

"Has Jason called?" Carly licked at her lips nervously, interrupting only once the excitement over the sonogram picture had dwindled.

"This morning, but I wish he was here." Sam sighed disheartened. Jason had been out of town for the last few days working with both Sonny's firm and Spinelli to track the bad guys down so that they could end this constant lock down Sonny's guys had them all under.

"I think it's safe to say we all wish that and that this was all over." Maxie pulled herself up to a sit, crossing her legs on the bed at an angle. "I mean would these guys really come after a handful of people they barely saw for a half a second in Peru? Sure they wanted Jason and Johnny...and they got Johnny." Maxie let the moment of sadness pass between them before she went on. "Jason's the only one left and with all the other hit men to go after surely they'll just give up and go after them..."

Carly and Sam looked back at her like she'd lost her mind and Maxie sighed heavily, dropping her shoulders in defeat. "Yeah I know, but it was worth a shot. I can hope, right?"

"They're going after the best in the field." Sam shifted under the blanket rapped around her small frame. "They need their influence I'm sure to encourage or discourage the others that they want to recruit or whatever. Jason, doesn't really talk about it much, but it doesn't take much to put it together, knowing what we do." Sam knew the conversation was over and she was sort of glad as soon as Lulu walked through the door.

"Hey stranger." Sam smiled brightly as Maxie shifted on the bed to give her a place to sit.

"Hey, sorry I know it's been a while. But you're room's all ready at the apartment." Lulu smirked obviously proud of her endeavor.

"You didn't have to go to any trouble." Sam shook her head in dismay but Lulu was shirking it off with ease.

"It wasn't trouble, Sam." Lulu unwrapped her scarf and narrowed her eyes at the worsening storm beyond the window. It had been snowing for the better part of the last two days and it was getting pretty bad out there. No one wanted to worry Sam with it though and they knew she wasn't prone to checking the weather.

Hopefully the roads would all be clear when she was released. "So what are we all talking about?" Lulu settled – getting comfy for some girl talk, glad that they could all share some time with Sam.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Are you kidding me?" Jason screamed into the mic that was patched from his headset on the chopper to Spinelli.

"I can't get a line out, not a land line, not a cell line. I don't have internet!" Spinelli replied in horror.

"You're telling me all communication is offline in Port Charles?" Jason felt fear surging in like a blinding high wave crashing against the adrenaline high already coursing through his veins from learning that Proto and his IRA contacts made landfall in New York City four hours ago. He'd been tracking them through his own contacts but they had been covering their tracks insanely well.

Spinelli had some new guy on a killing spree in South America – moving in their direction with a band of notable opposed hit men under his wing and no contact with anyone now.

"There has to be..." Jason started as the pieces started to fall together in a horrid picture of what could be just as Spinelli cut him off.

"Wait, wait..." Spinelli spun looking to the police scanner in horror then swallowed tightly before he placed his headset back on. "Police frequencies are working...there are multiple cell towers down and something glitchy with the central phone stations computer systems, they had a four station crash that knocked all the switchboards out of whack. Somethings jamming the wireless..."

"Proto landed four hours ago and Port Charles is essentially cut off? That is not a coincidence. He's coming after me and the others. Spinelli you have to get mobile, get to Sonny and let him know what's coming. Find a radio frequency he can employ that Proto can't snoop on." Jason felt like he was ready to scream.

Spinelli was already on his feet trying to pack his laptop up as fast as he could. "I'm on it, What's your ETA to the helipad?"

"Half an hour." Jason called back. He looked out the window worriedly as Bagger Barns turned "Heart of Glass" down in an effort to concentrate as he peered through the night and through the snow. Jason covered the mic. "You said you could fly in this...can you land?"

"Piece of cake, brother." Bagger chuckled though there was a look that crossed his face that Jason hadn't seen before, something that for once cut his confidence in the insane pilot, what he saw was fear...

"You know they just grounded air traffic, right?" Spinelli asked as he headed out the door at a jog, guards moving with him. "Get the car, we have to get to Sonny." Spinelli explained to them as he waited to hear from Jason.

"Yeah, trust me, I know." Jason replied as the chopper dipped again and he had to grab a hold of the frame to steady himself. "Don't worry about me. We're landing soon, just get to Sonny and make sure the girls are alright."

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"The enemy has landed." he moved through the ambulance bay of General Hospital just as the power went down and the generators kicked in just to kicked it a second later when a shock wave radiated from the basement from a controlled detonation. "How's the other target?"

"Walking out on the balcony as we speak." He heard through his satellite phone in reply. "Whose with him?"

"Unknown female, please advise."

"Wait until the target is alone and take him out." He replied evenly, keeping his voice low as he moved through the crowd of bustling technicians, nurses, orderlies, and doctors all rushing to stabilize the patients effected by the lack of power.

"Roger that," the line went silent as he pulled open the door to the stairwell and armed himself, ready to fight to get to his goal.

One way or another this was ending tonight.

He'd fought too hard over the last two months to rid the world of this ridiculous feud between the IRA and those that opposed them or wouldn't be strong armed into supporting them, by taking down the biggest players still trying to force others to their side. Now supported by others that felt the same way, Johnny Zacchara, was going to fight his way back to Lulu and their unborn baby...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"He's not coming back out, you should have taken the shot when you had it." Josie got out in disgust as she grabbed her bag from the backseat and slung it over her shoulder looking sideways at Sasha who was sliding extra clips into his vest.

"I don't want to take out civilians." Sasha replied without missing a beat. "Anthony is one thing, but I like to keep the body count low." He spoke with a heavy Russian accent and cut a look at Josie knowing that the body count wasn't near as much of a concern to her.

If he had his way this would be a solo job, but Johnny thought it better to team up considering how deadly his father could be. "Trust me, who ever's in the house, is not a civilian." Josie shot back.

"Jose, the old man is it." He warned her.

She met his eyes through the white haze drizzle between them and frowned with a sigh. "Whatever, Sash..." She rolled her eyes as they both blended into the night melding into the shadows to gain access to Anthony Zacchara's lush accommodations in Port Charles.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Sam jumped as a pop signified the night reclaiming the hospital in one fell swoop, the lights and electronics dying all around them with no reprise. Her eyes turned to the window, eyes adjusting to the snow in the moonlight. "The backup generators should kick..." Maxie started but fell silent as a sudden shudder ran through the whole of the building, sending tremors of fear up everyone's spines in tandem.

Carly was on her feet in a heart beat. "What was that?" Maxie and Lulu were getting to their feet as well, everyone looking around as if some sign of what was going on would soon show itself.

"Is everyone alright?" No one got a word in before Max opened the door and the beam of a flashlight shown in, cascading light over the women.

"Max, what was that? Why aren't the backup generators coming on?" Maxie rambled out immediately, everyone looking for answers.

"I don't know, our radio working but the phones are down. We can't get any outside information." Max explained worriedly. "Listen, everyone just get comfortable here. You're safe. We're going to make sure of it." He promised them. "I'll keep you in the loop."

Max quickly exited the room without leaving anyone else room to jump in with more questions as he turned to the two guards there and frowned, not liking this a bit. Something was wrong, very wrong. "Milo, Dane, you two stay put...I'll be right back..." Max made a bee line for the stair well and was almost there when he heard gun fire erupt several floors down from the vicinity he was headed in.

He drew ad aimed at the door just as Justin and Daniel burst through the stairwell door, out of breath from an all out run. "Proto and his men are on a rampage, storming the hospital. I think they're on their way up here." Justin rushed out in explanation...

"How many?" Max rushed out.

"At least 15 in the East stairwell...Max – he's got an army coming up here..."

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"We're having trouble on the roads..." Spinelli looked out the back windshield before he looked back to his computer scanning for any usable wireless. "This storm has taken one hell of a turn."

"Yeah well we're still ten minutes from the Hospital." Jason replied as Spinelli had called him back on the sat phone worried because he hadn't been able to get a hold of Sonny yet. "Look if you haven't talked to him by the time I get there. I'll deal with it." Jason promised him.

"Alright." Spinelli sighed worriedly, closing his eyes a moment. He was scared to death for the girls, this shouldn't be happening. They shouldn't be targets as a means to reel Jason into this game. "Call me when you land..."

"Will do..." Jason ended the conversation missing Spinelli's cry as he looked up from the phone only to realize that the Nolten had lost control of the car, skidding on the ice and they were headed right into a guardrail on the winding road leading to Sonny's...

"**Living in Chaos" by The Offspring**

"**Got a song song, man it goes like this..."**

Proto rose from his seat in the front lobby as the chaos began...the rumble of the explosion that took out the generator...the sound of the gun fire from the east stairwell. He smiled to himself as he headed in that direction, waiting for the all clear as he lit his cigar, watching and waiting.

He'd get Morgan's girl, his best friend, whoever else the hell it took to convince the man that it was either his way or death for everything he held dear and everyone he loved...

"East is clear...they sent the Corinthos guys scattering on the third floor where the girl is." Proto looked to his second who held the radio in hand, utilizing one of the only bands not jammed at the moment.

"East it is...hows the west look?" Proto asked quickly.

"Uncompromised. We're holding it as well." Came the reply.

"Let me know if there is a change...lets get these doors locked down...I don't want any more company..." Proto ordered not relishing the idea of the police interfering before he captured his targets.

Proto headed up the East stairwell as the others did as he asked...

"**Somewhere the time was right...Could've been gone in ten...This world is hard to fight...hitting you once...hit it again..." **

Johnny raced up the west stairwell blending in with the others following Proto, waiting for his moment as he headed toward where he imagined Lulu would be visiting Sam. He took the stairs two at a time, ignoring the pain that rippled through his chest from a wound that hadn't healed quite right.

"**To know the way it feels...Everyone gets knocked down...when you get up it's real...taking it back...turn it around..." **

Max looked to the stairwell a curse on his lips as he looked behind him to the nurses station. "Justin, go get me six pairs of scrubs, hats, and face masks, gloves the works and hurry the hell up. Milo – Daniel you guys watch the door..." He turned to Sam's room and shoved the door open, gun still in hand.

"**Get on it...up on it...get on it...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...get on it...no one's gonna free you...You know when your keeping it slow...matter where you wanna go...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...it's on when you're living in chaos..." **

Sam had pushed herself to her feet fear dancing through her heart as she heard the muffled gun fire in the distance. This wasn't the storm. When Max burst through the door, gun in hand, it was confirmed. "Change of plans...we're going to get you guys out of here. I need you guys to start stripping down, now...we're going to need to blend in a little better..." He was already pulling his suit jacket off, quickly unbuttoning his shirt.

Sam's eyes widened. Holy shit. This was a little more excitement that she was expecting...

"**Somewhere along the lines...things get chipped away...this place keeps going down...get a little worse...everyday..." **

They had stripped down to undies by the time Justin rushed in with the scrubs and other accessories. The group rushed to get into the new duds, everyone moving at a mad pace. "Get the clothes in a bag and send them down the laundry chute..." Max motioned to the discarded clothes in the floor. He didn't need the enemy knowing that they had all changed clothes.

Justin hurriedly did so just as Max announced it was time to go and began to usher them out of the room...

Sam would have to risk the exposure.

"**I see the hate and greed...swear it's a messed up town...Embrace the pain and see...taking it back...turn it around..." **

"Spinelli?" Jason couldn't get an answer and he'd been trying all through the dive towards the hospital rooftop. He looked to Bagger worriedly and shook his head. They'd been picking up a few stray radio communications and it was not good. They were hearing Doctors trying to call in to the EMA and PCPD to let them know that the hospital was under siege.

In fact were it not for a few staff on the roof top with flashlights Bagger never would have been able to find the Hospital to land...

"**Get on it...up on it...get on it...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...get on it...no one's gonna free you...You know when your keeping it slow...matter where you wanna go...wouldn't want to be you...get on it...up on it...it's on..."**

Jason cleared the helicopter with a not so clear plan in mind as he quickly questioned the staff on the roof top to find out what they knew about the position of the enemies. Seemed the West stairwell was congested with bad asses.

Jason turned back to the chopper and headed back for a few more supplies, finally ending up decked out with guns and a nice measure of rope coiled over his left shoulder. He started to the stairwell with purpose as he checked the magazine in the automatic in hand. Jason opened up the roof access door with a single shot...quickly shifting his aim to take out the two guards that were rushing in his direction before he stopped just long enough to tie the rope he had off to the top rail before he tossed the rest of the length down the middle of the stairwell.

Jason pulled his gloved tight and took the robe in hand, after looping it around his waist, taking the automatic in his right hand before jumping over the rail into free fall, the rope his guideline.

"**Falling...falling...falling...falling..."**

Jason opened fire at everyone moving along the stairs as the bad guys had already cleared the hospital personnel off them...He was falling at the perfect spin to catch everyone moving along the stairs, up or down, they had no cover to dive for. Man after man after man...possibly fifteen in all had fallen by the time his feet touched the floor and he quickly looked to head back up to the third floor to find Sam and the others and make sure they were all alright.

"**Ya, ya, ya, ya...Ya, ya, ya, ya...Ya, ya, ya, ya...Ya, ya, ya, ya..."**

Johnny saw the rope drop and looked up the middle of the stairwell catching a glimpse of Jason before he heard the automatic on full open fire just above him. He had just enough time to dive through the second story floor door and roll behind a metal meal cart to take cover before he heard the others going down in a hail of bullets.

Johnny couldn't hide the growing smile...he wasn't the only one not pulling punches...

"**Got a song song, man it goes like this..." **

"The west hall is under..." The call couldn't be finished as the man on the radio went down, riddled with bullets from the man in free fall...Proto frowned hearing the message as his second, Juan tried to get the man back on the horn, only to find only silence as greeting...

They shared a concerned glance before they quickened their pace...

"**Somewhere the time was right...Could've been gone in ten...This world is hard to fight...hitting you once...hit it again..." **

Jason was at an all out run, bounding up the steps when he heard the creak from the right and saw a flash of metal as the door began to open to from the second floor. He barreled into the door slamming it into the man's arm that was trying to come out on him, the force of the impact forcing the gun from his hand as he screamed out.

"Jason!" Jason looked to the window of the door in horror as he recognized the voice of a ghost and he met Johnny's Zacchara's eyes through the glass.

"Holy..." Jason released his hold on the door, letting him go as Johnny doubled over pain coursing through his arm and side. "You alright?" He asked him in wonder, not really having time to find out how this miracle reunion was even possible.

"Peachy...lets kill these fuckers..." Johnny replied grabbing his gun from the floor.

Jason gave a nod with a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips as he gave Johnny a pat on the shoulder. "Nice to have you back..."

"**To know the way it feels...Everyone gets knocked down...when you get up it's real..."**

Max moved them as fast as he could but he knew he was already pushing Sam as he could hear her labored breathing at his back. Now dressed as Hospital personnel he was hoping that the enemy would drop their guard around them so that he and the others could get the drop on them. It was his best bet to keep the girls safe.

Max turned to look to Milo as his brother as the man also realized just how much help Sam needed. Milo wasn't forceful but he quickly swept Sam into his arms, moving to take a more guarded position in the midst of the group to protect her.

"**Falling...falling...falling...falling..."**

Josie looked over her shoulder to Sasha's disapproving face as he glared daggers into the back of her head. So she'd taken out a few house hold staff. They knew what the score was. They knew they worked for a dangerous man and that he did horrible things. "Don't look so pissed..."

"This isn't pissed I assure you." Anthony replied from his position on his knees.

"Not you." Josie huffed as she kept her aim at the back of his head. She wasn't one to draw something out. She fired the shot and watched as his body fell before she looked back to Sasha. "Done...help me with the body so we can get out of this blasted cold..."

"**Living in chaos..." **


	12. The Scientist

**Daydreams**

**So I survived Registration and the server only crashed the one time - :) Got all the classes I needed. I am on cloud nine on that one... So okay on to the story...My daughter's been reading and complaining about Spinelli being out of character and I know he is...Would you believe the only reason he is out of character is I am too lazy to put my heart into writing his dialogue :P I love Spinelli but sometimes he's hard to write, like this time and thus his morph to more normal speech. So please over look and forgive and just take it as an AU sort of Spinelli. Anyway, thanks so much for those reading and reviewing and I really hope that everyone enjoys the update...There is only one more chapter after this one. **

**The Scientist**

Night was as cold as the hearts of hell as the rampant storm blanketed the wreckage of sleeping bodies in drifts against a back drop of brush and scantly clad branches and trunks. Spinelli groaned in a waking state of agony as he came to his senses and bit back a scream. He was wrapped around the passenger seat his seat belt the only thing that had kept him from going further – through the windshield.

Spinelli angled back hissing in a breath as he closed his eyes, shirking out of his coat as best he could in order to inspect the damaged done to his person. "Grey? Dan?" Spin called out, trying to rouse the driver and passenger who had been his armed guards. He didn't hear a response – not even in movement and Spin licked at his lips worriedly blinking to take in their none moving states before the pain in his right leg had him looking down to find a piece of glass from the window peeking out as if to welcome him to panic.

"Dammit..." Spin seethed out out of breath as he looked back to the guards, a silent prayer on his lips for the horror of doubt running through him over their lack of response. "Grey?"

Spin hitched in a breath as he pulled himself to get a better look at the driver and his face fell further when he laid eyes on his dead eyes starring into nothing, head resting against the steering wheel at an odd angle. "God Grey."

"Dan?" Spin gave a glance in Dan's direction and swore again as he saw that he too had succumbed to the volatile crash. Spin cursed a blue streak in horror. Dammit! Proto and his guys just had to attack in the middle of a goddamn blizzard. Spinelli looked back to his side, knowing that he was going to have to move in order to survive. He couldn't radio, call, or other wise e-mail or chat for help.

Spinelli pulled the glass out, using his gloves as padding for his hands to keep from further cutting himself. He then tied off the wound with a ripped piece of his shirt and then pulled his jacket back on. He had to move...now...

Walking was like a nightmare wrought after finding two friends dead and he hugged his jacket around him shivering in the cold as he trudged down the road. Spinelli breathed against his gloved hands as if his breath could possibly penetrate to warm his fingers, but he imagined that it worked so very slightly as he noticed some light hinting at civilization down the road in a clearing. There was a single truck there and a helicopter and the four guys there weren't exactly holding their voices down.

"You got clearance yet?" One of them called.

"No, that mook's still on the roof." Another called back. "I can't get up there until they clear him off." He explained further.

"You'd think that Proto would have checked on that..." Another scoffed. "Let him fly himself out..."

Spinelli narrowed his eyes as he watched from the treeline, out of sight. They were part of the crew with Proto and his men who must have GH under attack. Specifically they had to be part of his getaway crew...Jason must have landed and Bagger was taking up their parking space.

He suspected that Proto assumed with the air traffic grounded that he wouldn't have to worry about any landings on the hospital roof keeping his own guys from getting in there...boy was he wrong. Spin looked down at his leg wondering if could sneak up on these guys and take them out one by one...he needed their radio...and it couldn't hurt to further ground them, knock out any chance of Proto from escaping.

Should be simple enough...Spinelli reached behind him feeling the gun resting at the small of his back that he'd pulled from Grey...he didn't know if it was the shock or blood loss or grief that was making him so fearless but he wasn't really questioning at the moment as he walked out of the tree line into the clearing heading straight for the guys at a fast hobble.

"Hey!" he waved frantically like any wrecked motorist flagging for help might. "Hey can you guys help? I just wrecked my car on my way into town...I've got two more injured back there..." He needed to act like a concerned family man – someone they would hopefully feel compelled to send on his way instead of killing him. "Can you call for help? Something? I can't get a signal...I can't...get anything..."

They didn't seem very amiable but they weren't outright opening fire either so there was hope. Spinelli kept on heading in their direction hoping to take them off guard when he pulled on them. "Look little man...we got nothing for ya..." One of them called to him.

"Yeah you need to just turn back and find some more help..." Another called back, the both – the only two on the approach and neither currently armed.

The other guys were out of sight in the chopper and Spin knew enough to know where the fuel tank was...He sniffed back the waning courage knowing that if he didn't act quickly he was going to lose his advantage. "Sorry I can't do that..." Spin drew – surprise his only advantage as he wasn't nearly the shot that he knew others to be as he fired two rounds, both hitting with surprising accuracy...taking them both down with shots to the head as if their deaths somehow vindicated the accident that had caused Grey and Dan's...He then took out the chopper with three more shots – finally hitting the fuel tank...

Spinelli swallowed tightly watching as the explosion lit the night storm streaked sky in a fire ball giving him a moment of pause before he started for the truck parked behind the fireball, so that he could get to the radio...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Thanks Milo, but I'm fine..." Sam whispered as she had finally caught her breath in the doorway to the ICU that everyone was now semi situated around. Max couldn't get them a clear line to the stair well and he couldn't raise anyone on the radios either so he paused to reorganize his thoughts just where the hospital needed them the most...

"Call it..." Sam frowned as her feet finally touched the floor just as Patrick Drake was calling a death for one of the patients past the doors...

"I need some help here!" A nurse called as she was trying to do chest compressions but needed to load up a syringe. She caught Carly's eyes and Carly was already moving, unable to leave the poor woman fighting for her life like this...

Sam leaned against the wall in the ICU watching as Carly, Lulu, and Maxie all went out to help those in need while Max, Justin, Daniel, and Milo regrouped...Sam was a wash with a swirl of mixed emotions...wishing she could help those that needed it...fearing for the safety of her friends and herself as she was terrified that something had happened to Jason.

It was like a nightmare in the midst of an ever blossoming nightmare...The door had fallen closed behind them and flashlight light beamed through the ICU as she tried to gain her own bearings...the transfusion and chemo and radiation before hand was still playing havoc with her recovery. She was weaker than she ever wanted to be again...Just the jaunt from her room to here half of which was spent in Milo's arms...had taken it out of her and the docs were saying it would be another four months before she could even resume normal activity...

Not ideal in the middle of a siege...

Sam leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes a moment a she took a deep breath...She could hear Max suggesting that they skirt the stairwells and perhaps try and climb down the elevator shafts to throw them all off. Sam made a scoffing noise under her breath wondering how she was supposed to pull that off. Just at that moment she opened her eyes, head turned at just the right angle to look out the small window that occupied the space beside the door in time to see some very scary looking men walking by...

She tried to back away from the window to blend in to the shadows but they caught sight of her and the other chaos beyond the window and she jumped as the door was suddenly thrown open...Sam blinked as she shot a glance to Max over the face mask that covered her nose and mouth, her face mostly obscured.

"I'm looking for Samantha McCall." Proto called into the room, garnering everyone's attention.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Jason pushed open the door to Sam's room expecting to see many things...Sam in bed...Sam in the chair...Sam by the window...All varied by degrees of Max and Milo watching her and when he entered and found nothing his heart threatened to skip on out of his chest in a protest of shock and panic.

"She should be here..." Jason breathed out, his mind playing facilitator to the unspeakable in a heartbeat as he entertained what might have happened.

"Max would have moved her..." Johnny had to speak wisdom into silent panic and Jason gave a quiet nod, praying that he was right. "All of them..."

"We don't know who..." Jason started meaning to stress to Johnny that Lulu may not have been here but Johnny cut him off quickly.

"Lulu's here and so is Carly and Maxie...I stopped off a few places before coming here." Johnny explained as he met Jason's eyes...a moment of silent understanding passing between them.

"Then we don't have any time to lose..." Jason whispered as he turned on his heels and headed back out the door.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Proto wasn't in the mood for games and the silence that met him as those from the medical staff continued to try and preserve the critically ill only served to infuriate him further. Juan stood at his side and they both peered into the room as if assessing the situation while everyone else either shot them a glance in fear or ignored them completely.

He didn't ask his question again...not at first...no first... he drew his gun and in the blink of an eye he fired a single shot taking down Elizabeth Webber in a random act of violence... "Perhaps, no one heard me... I'm looking for Samantha McCall..."

No one moved at first as he had garnered their attention completely...

Sam couldn't just stand by and watch as they killed some nurse in her name though...She pushed off the wall with a gasp of horror for Proto's action and called out in an instant... "I'm Sam..."

Proto's face lit with a smile as his gaze fell on her while Sam carefully removed her face mask to prove her point. "Was that so hard?" He asked with a smirk...

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

"Mayday...Mayday..." Spin's voice was failing as he leaned against the steering wheel of the truck tiredly, the flames from the toasty chopper still warming him even as he fought to stay awake from the wounds he sustained from the wreck. "Anyone..."

He wasn't getting any sort of radio feedback and was beginning to realize that they were changing frequencies frequently...he finally stumbled onto the right bandwidth. "Where are you, Posh?" Came the question he had been waiting for...Posh must have been a nickname for one of the guys he'd taken out.

"Posh is dead...no one is coming..." Spin replied. He listened to dead silence a moment before they finally got up the nerve to talk back...

"Who the hell is this?" Spinelli recognized Proto's voice from some recordings he'd listened to of the guy.

"Doesn't matter...your guys are dead and you don't have a workable exit tragedy anymore..." he replied evenly.

"You son of a bitch...we'll see about that..." Came the reply that had Spinelli worrying over the implications.

**ZZZZZZZZZZ**

Sam jumped when she felt Proto's hand wind around her shoulders, drawing her close to his chest, puling her against him as he screamed into his radio at Spinelli. God it sounded like Jason had some stuff going on especially with Spinelli.

She felt the cold metallic death of a gun meet her temple as she rested in a breathy quiet against Proto's chest looking for her out in the scrutinized comfort of their surroundings. The door opening again did nothing to settle Sam's nerves...nothing...

Carly was doing chest compressions on a patients fighting for life...Lulu was holding pressure on the nurse that had just been shot's wound...and Maxie was scrambling to help with another patient with some nurses aids...So the door opening was still a shock with so much happening...including her being taken hostage...

Justin and Daniel looked ready to jump Proto but Max had called them off and Mili was waiting on Max's orders...

When the door burst open Sam half expected to see more of Proto's men, securing his position, but a smile lit her lips when she met Jason's eyes in the darkness there...

She felt Proto take a deep breath against her back and steadied herself against him. "It's about time, you got here." Proto smiled to Jason as if he had the upper hand somehow.

"Release her..." Jason was terrified as he met Sam's eyes, seeing the fear pleading through from a single glance. "Let her go and we'll talk..." He promised him.

"I'm not an idiot...she's my only way out of here..." Proto chuckled softly assuming that Jason had ordered the hit on his escape convoy.

"And I swear I should have a voice in all of this..." Sam piped in, knowing that they were all in a stand off.

"You don't..." Proto cleared up for her at once as he kept eye contact with Jason which was a horrid mistake as Johnny hid just under the radar...to make his point though Proto tugged Sam tighter against him, choking her voice off as he started to strangle her with his forearm looking to Jason to back down so that he could make his escape...

Jason was coming apart at the seams the moment that Proto choked Sam into submission, ready to tackle him and tear him apart, but scared to death that Sam would get hurt in the process. God if he ever got his hand on the man without risk to Sam...

"Let her go..." Jason warned him, watching as Sam's face turned red under the stress of Proto's grasp.

"Like hell..." Proto threw back as he started to move backwards out of the room, his two remaining guards with him.

It happened so fast...

Sam all at once elbowed the hell out of Proto just as Jason realized what she was about to do and he channeled his aim to take out the guards that remained with Proto...Just as Johnny rose up from no where to take out the other guard...Sam was the one that remained standing in a moment of shock and horror as everyone else around her in the hallway fell all around her and she met Jason's eyes in horror of the gun fire...

He moved quickly to take her to the floor to get her out of the line of fire...as the threat that had been against them so long was finally gone...

"**The Scientist: by Coldplay**

Carly sank to her knees around the bed of the patient she was trying to save as bullets began to fly all around them...she covered her head, trying to preserve herself for her children as she screamed out in horror of the situation...

"**Come up to meet you...tell you I'm sorry...you don't know how lovely you are...I had to find you..tell you I need you...tell you I've set you apart...tell me your secrets...and ask me your questions...oh, let's go back to the start..."**

Lulu moved in slow motioned as soon as her eyes lit on Johnny...her heart quickening to the realization that he was still alive in one horrific moment of gun fire where in she covered her belly with both hands as though that would provide some protection for their baby.

Her face was crumpling in in a mix of emotions she couldn't possibly explain as she finally saw him rise, the fire fight over...and she got to her feet, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stumbled forward.

"**Running in circles...coming up tails...heads on the science to part...nobody said it was easy...it's such a shame for us to part...nobody said it was easy...no one ever said it would be this hard...oh take me back to the start..." **

Johnny met her...and Lulu collapsed against him in tears of joy as his hands wound around her and held her upright against him. "I thought..." She breathed...

"You thought wrong..." Johnny whispered against her ear. "I'm never going to leave you again, Baby.." he promised her...

"**I was just guessing...at numbers and figures...pulling the puzzles apart...questions of science...science and progress...do not speak as loud as my heart...oh tell me you love me...come back and haunt me...oh and I rush to the start..." **

"Are you alright?"Jason whispered.

Sam peered up into his eyes where they now lay on the floor where Jason had thrust them to get out of the line of fire. "I'm fine..." She promised him, letting him know that Proto was way overconfident to try and take on him and his guys...

Maybe Jason and Sonny's guys...who knew...either way the threat was over and they were face to face waiting on word that they had a chance of beating this...

"I'm wonderful..." Sam whispered...Seeing Jason smirk at her smile.

"You are..." He smirked.

"Are you?" She asked him worriedly as her smile waned.

"Oh Yeah..." Jason promised her.

"**Running in circles...chasing our tails...coming back as we are...nobody said it was easy...it's such a shame for us to part...nobody said it was easy...no one ever said it would be so hard...I'm going back to the start..." **

Hugs all around went unnoticed as everyone made up with the stain of heartache behind them. With the horror of a hostage crisis behind them.

Carly hugged Sam the next day as she was released from the hospital after so long...and they were all able to go home, to their own homes...with out the threat of someone coming after them...

Carly's hug led to Lulu and Maxie's and soon Jason was a permanent fixture at the apartment so that everyone was ready for Jason and Sam to make good on their engagement...

"**Nobody said it was easy..." **


	13. Somewhere Only We Know

**Daydreams**

**The last chapter...sort of an epilogue and hopefully over all satisfying ending to this spur of the moment story :) Thanks for reading and reviewing – all feedback is much appreciated. You guys rock...hope you enjoy :) **

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**One Year Later...**

Waking was never such a sweet ache as she felt a whisper touch delicately dancing over her cheek, trailing lazily down her neck. Sam opened her eyes to meet Jason's as he rested on his elbow over her, his gaze drinking her in. "I could wake up this way for an eternity."

"I might take you up on that." Jason's touch was both calming and erotic all in the same breath and Sam was fighting the throes of sleep as she adjusted herself under his half lean over her. "We're going to miss the sunset if we lay here much longer..." There was a subtle concern to his voice as though he was just as excited to see it as she was.

"There will be others..." She smiled brilliantly, tongue wetting her lips just before his met hers. They were lost in a heartbeat, lost to everything but each other, only broken apart when Jason pulled back, breath heavily against hers as though he was fighting raw animal instinct to reign himself in.

"Not quite like this." He promised her.

Sam cocked her head, narrowing her eyes in wonder. "I'm pretty sure it's a pretty normal sunset." Sam laughed. She searched his eyes though, seeing such emotion there, such passion, Jason was a simple guy, and one that she was getting to know better and better and by God it seemed sort of out of character for him, sort of. "Or is it?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." He arched his eyebrow at her in response as he slowly and somewhat begrudgingly untangled himself from her. "Come on...we can leave the tent set up here and sleep here tonight." He got to his feet already pulling his clothes on.

Sam watched him from where she lay in appreciation with a heavy sigh before she finally decided to take him up on it. "This better be one hell of a sunset." She chided him as she grabbed for her clothes.

"Or what?" Jason asked absently, trying to play it cool as they both had to quit watching the other in order to keep up the appearance of control.

"What you want to make a bet?" Sam asked coyly, back turned even as she snuck the occasional peak over her shoulder.

"Sure..." Jason was unable to keep from sneaking the occasional glance her way either. It didn't matter that they'd just made love, he was still fighting taking her right there all over again...He forced his gaze away knowing there was still so much left to this day and they would have this moment again.

"Alright...If this isn't the most memorable sunset I've ever seen...You owe me a week in the Bahama's." Sam adjusted her coat over her off white coat over the white t-shirt underneath and propped her jean clad leg on the cooler to tie her boots.

"And if it is then you move in with me..." Jason turned to meet her eyes, to show her how serious he was.

Sam whirled in surprise at the stakes. "Seriously?" Sam knew that they had discussed it in the past but it was right after she'd been in treatment and she didn't want him to think that the whole of their relationship revolved around him trying to take care of her. This was different. Jason had established that he wouldn't smother her with his worry over her health as she fought to get back in shape so that they could even take this trip.

She knew there was no chance of him assuming that she needed him all the time now. Jason didn't treat her like she would break at any moment and she was so glad. Sam had gone back into remission as the transplant took with flying colors and she was so thankful to Carly for making the sacrifice so that she had the chance to recover. The docs were now saying that her chances of staying in remission were much higher than before.

"Seriously." Jason breathed out in unflinching honesty.

Sam felt at peace with the very idea and she had for a few weeks now. She was now hoping that this sunset was as spectacular as Jason assumed it was going to be. "Alright...It's a bet." Sam ushered her hand out to shake on it and he took hers in his own with a swift and business like shake before he pulled her too her and he kissed her deeply, liking the idea of their bet being be sealed with a kiss instead...

She pulled away breathlessly and was half convinced they needed to just stay right here – bet be damned. Jason seemed to have another idea however as he forced himself away from her and grabbed her back, tossing it in her direction as if it might somehow help ease them out of the land of love and lust and into making it to Machu Picchu by sunset.

"**Somewhere Only We Know," by Keane**

"**I walked across...an empty land...I knew the pathway like the back of my hand...I felt the earth beneath my feet...sat by the river and it made me complete...Oh simple thing...where have you gone...I'm getting older and I need something to rely on...So tell me when...you're gonna let me in...I'm getting tired and need somewhere to begin..."**

Sam rested her head against the top of Jason's head her pack situated on her back as she clung to Jason, the rhythmic motion of his walking lulling her. He'd offered to give her a piggy back ride up the last bit of the path to the ruins and she took him up on it. Not because she was weak and frail, but because she was simply bone tired and she wanted her first moment to lay eyes on Machu Picchu to be spectacular. Jenny never made it this far and she was still dedicated to remembering her friend in this place of her lost dreams.

"You know...We never made it this far the last time we were here." Sam said softly enjoying the quiet sounds of nature that enveloped them from all sides.

"I know. " Jason sighed easily handling her weight as he moved them farther up the path. "It was a lot different then." Jason acknowledged.

"Yeah." Sam sighed wistfully. "At least Johnny's alive and Spinelli made it..." Sam referred to the last stand that resulted from it all. Spinelli and Maxie had just started dating a few months ago after an uneasy courtship. It was a miracle in and of itself...Sam smiled at the small arguments that she'd would hear randomly around the apartment.

Lulu had moved out months previous to move in with Johnny and they were playing one hell of a game of house at the moment, trying to contend with a beautiful little girl they had named Laurel.

"Yep." Jason said softly, moving them along.

"**I came across...a fallen tree...I felt the branches...are they looking at me...Is this the place...we used to love...Is this the place that I've been dreaming of...Oh simple thing...where have you gone...I'm getting older and I need something to rely on...So tell me when...you're gonna let me in...I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin..."**

Sam narrowed her eyes at the pace Jason had set to get them there. It was like he was hell bent on making sure she was there by sunset. "Alright alright...let me down..." Sam could feel it...they were about to be there and she could also feeling how tired Jason was getting- trying to carry her. He complied instantly and Sam took the lead, moving through the blush of the trail feeling him right there at her back, keeping so close...

Sam broke through the underbrush and the treeline, breaching her first entrance to the ruins in one breathtaking swoop as she moved into a plateau with a single tree in sight and spun in wonder at the different complexes that ran all over the mountain top in a series of stepped areas, stone work all over in half formed walls and then whole formed ones...in a breath of a moment she realized why Jenny was so spell bound with the place...

It was timeless...

"**And if you have a minute why don't we go...talk about it somewhere only we know...this could be the end of everything...so why don't we go...somewhere only we know...somewhere only we know..." **

Jason followed at a safe distance behind Sam, letting her walk in her own light, in her own move, trying to give her the space that she needed to be at home here, where they'd finally made it. And just watching her he was falling in love with her all over again. She was fighting tears, looking in mesmerization and that was before she saw what he had planned...

Jason stayed back as he watched her drop to her knees for a moment, her voice lost to him as she spoke softly to no one in particular and he was struck that it wasn't quite prayer...something...different...saying goodbye...

"**Oh simple thing...where have you gone...I'm getting older and I need something to rely on...So tell me when...you're gonna let me in...I'm getting tired and I need somewhere to begin..."**

It was when she was finished and she was on the move again that Jason realized that she would soon stumble onto her surprise. It was a surprise that he had taken the gamble of his life on, but he felt like it was a sure bet...Jason watched her carefully as she rounded the next set of steps and the surprise came into view...

On the steps that led to the fountain area...was an entire wedding party made up of their closest friends...with a Inca priest set there to reside over the ceremony. Sam turned back to Jason in shock and...and...

There was a moment of worry that streaked through him until he saw the love shining in her eyes at what he had set up here...She was crying...and smiling...

"**And if you have a minute why don't we go...talk about it somewhere only we know...this could be the end of everything...so why don't we go...so don't why we go...Hmmm, yeah...ooooohhhhh, oh, oh...this could be the end of everything...So why don't we go...somewhere only we know...somewhere only we know..." **

It was the most spectacular sunset that Sam had every witnessed as she said her vows in Machu Picchu with all of their closest friends there to wish them well...She and Jason broke away from their kiss after their assertion of their devotion to each other and met each other eyes in splendor...

"So..." he whispered as the sun was setting beyond the mountains...

"You win...Hands down..." She smiled into their next kiss.

"**Somewhere only we know..." **


End file.
